Necessary To Keep Winning
by Theralion
Summary: Sequel to Necessary to Win. The year after Oarai's victory in the tournament, old opponents are emboldened, new challengers arise, and the former champions seek to regain their title. Oarai Academy, having barely avoided closure, must not only overcome those opponents, but must also withstand the test of time.
1. The Test of Time

**Necessary To Keep Winning**

**Chapter 1: The Test Of Time**

A new school year began at Oarai Academy, one that many believed was never supposed to take place. The government had decided to consolidate, and saw little reason to maintain Oarai Academy, a school that was unremarkable in most ways. But the student council made a deal to keep the school open if it won the tournament. With a large group of mostly amateur tankers, and the tanks that they found on the ship, they were able to overcome the odds and win.

But while Oarai's victory had saved the school, there was much that remained unresolved. The school still had to weather budget cuts, and continue to prove that it was worth keeping open. The tankery team had succeeded once, but other teams had risen and fallen over the years, so no one knew for certain what the future would have in store for the fledgling tankery team.

Several members of Oarai's tankery team achieved goals that were dear to them in the process of winning the tournament and saving their school, but they realized that their work was not yet done. But several others had not achieved their goals yet, and with the threat of their school closing forestalled, they now saw an opportunity to do so.

Nishizumi Miho and Haramura Nodoka led the team during this time- the first year of Oarai's new lease on life and the year after the tankery team's revival- knowing that they would not be the last to do so. But they knew it was necessary to keep winning and lead the team well to ensure the team was of worth to Oarai, and that whatever direction their school went in the future, the tankery team would have a place in it.

* * *

As Miho walked to the Student Council office on the first day of her third year, accompanied by her friend, kouhai and new vice-captain, Nodoka, she felt a sense of déjà vu. About a year ago, she had been called in to explain her reasons for refusing to join the tankery team, despite being the best qualified in the school. She joined, for her own reasons, and eventually learned that there was more to the Student Council than she had thought. But the end of the tournament that year, she learned that her school's fate depended on her success.

So who were these girls who had taken up positions on the Student Council? Why did they want to see her? Miho had heard their names before, but knew little else about them by the time she had gotten a letter in her mailbox asking her to meet with them during the lunch hour.

Miho stepped into the office, and saw four individuals greeting her. The president sat at her desk, with shoulder-length dark hair and a pair of glasses on her face, while her three colleagues stood nearby. The vice-president had an almost bored expression on her face and had her brown hair in a neat ponytail. The treasurer had a somewhat boyishly short haircut for her light brown hair. The PR representative had long blonde hair, and greeted Miho and Nodoka with a warm smile.

"Thank you for coming, Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san," the PR representative said. "My name is Teradaira Natsumi, and I'm the PR Rep. I would like to introduce my fellow student council members, all of whom are third-years. This is the president, Mikado Shizuru-san. This is the vice president, Fujino Shiina-san. And this is the treasurer, Satou Ayano-san."

"It's nice to meet you," Nodoka and Miho said as they bowed.

Immediately after the fact, Miho noticed that the usually impassive vice-president had slightly winced as she was introduced.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Natsumi said. "Can I get you something to drink, or anything else like that?"

"No, thank you; I'm fine," Miho said, and Nodoka nodded in agreement.

"That's good," Natsumi said. "Please have a seat."

Miho and Nodoka sat in chairs across from Shizuru.

"I called this meeting to discuss the tankery team this year," Shizuru said. "Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san, you were told about what was at stake in the last tankery tournament, were you not?"

"Yes, President," Miho said. "We heard, in the middle of the semi-finals, that if we were unsuccessful in winning the tournament, Oarai Academy would shut down."

"That is correct," Shizuru said, "and I hope the significance of the wording of what you heard was not lost on you. If you had been defeated, the school would have shut down. But since you've won, now what? Will the school necessarily be safe from now on?"

Miho and Nodoka paused and looked at each other. They had expected Shizuru to tell them the answer to what sounded like a rhetorical question, rather than expect them to guess. Nodoka shook her head and silently deferred to Miho.

"Not necessarily," Miho said.

"Good, you understand the situation quite well," Shizuru said. "The previous Student Council- the Kadotani administration- may have told you something different, but I hope you aren't under the impression that the proposed closure was solely about money."

"No, we weren't," Nodoka said. "We did hear about some budget cuts, but that seemed to be a separate issue."

"Exactly," Shizuru said. "The Kadotani administration did what it could to cut expenses, but the truth is that the government believed that it would be most expedient if Oarai Academy's school ship was shut down, and the students were moved elsewhere. By winning the tournament, you and the rest of the team convinced them otherwise… for the moment."

Shizuru gestured to the treasurer.

"In short, the lesson of this entire affair is that, in the field of education, ideas, programs, and even schools themselves can only get the resources they need by proving that they are worthy of them," Ayano said. "And while winning is an impressive achievement, great teams have consistent success over a long period of time. Winning second place every year for five years is arguably more of an accomplishment than winning first place once and having mediocre showings in the other four years."

Miho and Nodoka glanced at each other, not liking where the discussion was going, but unsure of how they could shift it to their favor.

Miho briefly pondered her situation. In spite of her knack for strategy, she was not used to giving orders or getting into arguments with others. A year ago, she had been called into the office to explain her decision not to participate in tankery, and the encounter had ended with her deciding to do what the Student Council wanted, if for other reasons. Even though she eventually became commander, Miho felt as though it was because others wanted her to be it.

And yet, that fact was significant in and of itself. Hisa had, when trying to convince Miho to assert her will on the team, reminded Miho that people believed in her- Hisa herself, otherwise the best candidate for commander at Oarai, had chosen to entrust Miho with the responsibility. Hisa, having graduated, would not be part of her school in its new lease on life, and now it was up to Miho to do what she could for the team.

Knowing all this, Miho had no desire to let the tankery club get shut down now that it had served its purpose. In spite of this certainty, though, she knew she had to first clearly determine where the president stood on the issue.

"So what are you going to do, President?" Miho said. "Will you shut down the club now that it's no longer needed to keep the school going, to cut expenses? Quite a few people, myself included... would not be happy with this."

Shizuru shook her head, having anticipated Miho's question. The course of action Miho had mentioned was one that she had considered, but it was also one she had ruled out. Shizuru believed that to make the best decision in any given situation, she had to be aware of all the other choices, and understand why they were less than optimal.

"The problem is not that simple," Shizuru said. "Treasurer, please explain further; I believe you aptly described it in our earlier discussion."

"The fact of the matter is that the government is loath to invest large sums of money in a school that it believes delivers nothing but mediocre results- we must prove that we need money, and can use it well," Ayano said. "As such, as I said before, the budget cuts over the last few years and the school's existence being at stake are two separate issues. The various clubs and programs the previous student had to cut were a way of dealing with the former. Your victory in the tournament last year helped with the latter."

Ayano turned to Shizuru, who nodded approvingly.

"That essentially is the issue we are facing," Shizuru said. "The tankery club may be expensive, but it has, at least so far, proved that it is popular and of value to Oarai, which is why, _so far_, it has justified those expenses."

Miho smiled slightly, pleased that she had room to work with the student council. The two of them had made their respective desires clear, so they could work on a way to fulfill both of them together.

"So what do you want us to do, President?" Miho said.

"The long and short of it is that we want you to, with the limited resources at your disposal, continue to prove that the tankery team is of value to Oarai," Shizuru said. "You will need to run the club well, win matches, and put forth the best possbile effort for Oarai, showing that we, as a school, can go far with what we have."

"And what does that mean?" Nodoka said. "Does that mean that if we don't win the tournament, the tankery team will be cut?"

Nodoka took tankery seriously, but she believed she and Miho had been under enough pressure last year. Had they lost, Oarai would have been shut down. If Nodoka had failed to fulfill her end of the bargain with her father by winning the tournament, she would have had to leave her school. Miho's friend and driver, Reizei Mako, would have been unable to get the tardiness passes necessary to advance a year if she had not done well. Miho would have been disowned for losing the semifinals. With such long odds, and so much at stake, they had succeeded. As such, Nodoka did not believe they needed any "encouragement" to do so again, especially from a Student Council that did not seem to be getting involved in it.

Shizuru's response, however, was not what Nodoka had expected.

"No," Shizuru said. "Hardly anyone expected you to win the tournament last year and while you succeeded, the odds are still against you in many ways. We expect you to put in a good showing so that you can prove that what happened last year was not a fluke, and that Oarai's tankery team will be able to do well in the future. As for whether that will ensure that the tankery team will keep going in the future, with new commanders and student councils… I honestly cannot say."

An awkward pause ensued, as everyone involved tried to think of what to say next. Miho and Nodoka already knew that the future was uncertain, but a part of them had hoped for a more definitive statement from the student council.

"I'm sorry, Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san," Natsumi said, adopting a reassuring smile. "The president did not intend to frighten you or threaten you with adverse consequences if things don't turn out well. Her intention was to be up front about the reality of the situation, and ensure that you know everything you need to know about us and the status of this school."

Shiina let off a faint chuckle, albeit one that was audible to Nodoka and Miho, somewhat amused at how her best friend was avoiding mentioning the elephant in the room.

"Why don't you come out and say it, Natsumi?" Shiina said. "Why don't you say how we feel about the Kadotani administration keeping quiet about the school being at risk of shutting down? After all, it's a large part of why we're in our current positions, even if Mikado-san thinks Kadotani-senpai's secrecy about this issue almost cost us our school."

As Natsumi was taken off guard, the smile slipped off her face for a moment. She remained silent as Shizuru turned to Shiina, a stern frown on her face.

"Vice president, I believe I asked you and the others to use titles while on official business," Shizuru said. "That aside, you do have a point. The Kadotani Administration's decision to conceal the fact that the school was in danger was unwise, and even if things ultimately turned out relatively well, I have no desire to repeat this mistake. But that is not the only point on which I disagree with them. We also heard that they... put pressure on Nishizumi-san to get her to comply, which is hardly an appropriate tactic, even considering the circumstances."

Ayano did not speak but let off a soft sigh.

_"I know how you feel about that issue, Shizuru, just as you know how I feel," _Ayano thought. _"But while we may be friends in spite of our disagreements- or rather, because we can comfortably talk about them with each other- you are my superior, and I will not contradict you here, President Mikado."_

Much to Ayano's surprise, though, Miho was the one who spoke to express her disagreement.

"I don't think that's entirely true, President," Miho said. "The first fact is that Hisa-senpai and Koyama-senpai didn't agree with Kadotani-senpai and Kawashima-senpai. The second fact is that it vaguely sounded as though they were trying to tell us that the school was on the line, but didn't want to come out and say it; I think they believed that it'd be easier if I thought it was only for my sake, rather than everyone else's. The third fact was that, in the end, I _chose_ to do tankery, not because the student council wanted me to do it, but so I could do it alongside my new friends."

"Point taken," Shizuru said. "But as I said before, I have no desire to repeat the Kadotani administration's mistakes, even if we face significantly different decisions."

Shizuru paused and took a deep breath.

"Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san, I can say with full honesty that, in spite of the somewhat dire picture I painted, and the fact that we cannot predict the future, there is no imminent threat to the tankery team or the school," Shizuru said. "And you can ultimately count on us to be completely honest with you. We will not withhold information from you, but at the same time, we will not claim to be absolutely sure when we are not."

Miho and Nodoka nodded appreciatively.

"Thank you, President," they said.

"That is essentially all I had to say to you," Shizuru said. "Does anyone else have anything to say?"

Ayano nodded.

"Just one more thing," Ayano said. "While the president and I disagree with many of Kadotani-senpai and the others' decisions, I recognize that they were driven to act out of a belief that what they were doing was right, in order to prevent the impending closure of our school. Our circumstances and methods may be different, but we also do what we believe to be in Oarai Academy's best interests."

"I understand," Miho said.

"That's good," Natsumi said. "We'll see you for tankery practice!"

"Ah yes," Miho said. "I heard that you had signed up for it."

"We had considered doing so at the end of last year," Shizuru said, "but there were no tanks open and we did not think that we would be able to compete well against the former champions, Black Forest."

"Yeah," Shiina said. "A friend of mine got a first-hand look at how they fough. Because of that, I knew I wouldn't be much help. The fact that my mom doesn't really like tankery didn't help."

"But if the tankery group is to be of use to Oarai, we will do what we can to help you," Shizuru said. "This is not solely your battle, and we also share our hope that you will succeed."

"That's good to hear," Miho said. "I'll see you for tankery practice."

Miho and Nodoka, bowing, excused themselves from the office, shutting the door behind them.

"That went better than I thought," Nodoka said, as she and Miho began the walk back to the main school building.

"I agree, Nodoka-san," Miho said. "In the end, they want what we want- to keep the school going- and they even seemed to be hoping that we'd run the tankery team well."

"This is certainly different than last year," Nodoka said. "We will have to do our best, but it's not necessarily a tournament in which we must win every match or lose everything. The student council seems different from last year, but they still seem relatively supportive of our efforts."

Miho nodded, recalling something Hisa had told her late the previous year. Oarai Academy's student body did not have any political parties, but there were various schools of thought among those with ambitions in student government, and the winds of change did occasionally blow in favor of those with certain opinions and policies of leadership.

"That's essentially it," Miho said. "So, just like last year, let's give it our best, and do our part to help the tankery team withstand the test of time."

Nodoka nodded, glad when the solution to any situation at hand was simple and something she was trying for anyway. They would spend a great deal of effort trying to accomplish this goal, but it did not seem to be impossible for them.

"Oh, and..." Miho said, hoping to change the subject to something more pleasant, "I didn't have the opportunity to mention this earlier, but I like your new hairstyle, Nodoka-san."

"Thank you, Miho-senpai," Nodoka said. "I find it makes me look a bit more grown up."

Nodoka's parents, a prosecutor and defense attorney, had often impressed upon her the importance of looking and acting professionally. As such, Nodoka placed great importance on her appearing mature, which is why she went to great lengths to prevent most people from finding out about her sleeping with her stuffed penguin, Etopen.

Of course, Nodoka and her parents did not always see eye to eye, especially as far as tankery went. Her father had seen tankery as a waste of time, and Oarai as a school unworthy of her. In response, she had endeavored to change his mind by winning the tournament, succeeding as much as she thought possible. He was still no great fan of tankery, but he was at the point at which he would not make her give up her sport or leave her school.

So part of Nodoka understood the need to prove herself to others, and realized that Miho, a daughter of the Nishizumi school of tankery, had gone through that all her life, even if she was not destined to inherit the school. Miho had a certain level of competitiveness and determination to win, but not the same level demanded by her school, so her sister had hoped to be heiress so that Miho could find her own way of tankery.

Miho's decision to save a tank in the finals of the tankery tournament two years ago had cost the school the tournament, incurred the wrath of her mother and some of her teammates, and had resulted in Miho resolving to leave tankery for good. But Oarai, rather than being a place where Miho could go to avoid tankery, became the start of the new beginning for her. Miho had to win for the sake of her school, but she did not sacrifice her principles or lose sight of what she wanted.

The path ahead of them and their tankery club would be a difficult one to traverse, but it was clear, and they had many people who would support them in their efforts.

* * *

Miho settled into her class, which, this year, was separate from some of her closest friends, as afternoon classes began. While slightly disappointed at this development, Miho realized that she would be able to spend time with them at lunch, outside of school, and when they crewed the Panzer IV Ausf. D as part of Anglerfish Team for the tankery team.

During a class break, Tsuyama Mutsuki, Tsuchiya Yoshiko, and Isobe Noriko, some of Miho's teammates from the tankery team, approached her. While Miho was acquainted with them, she was somewhat surprised to see them initiate a conversation with her, as she had not talked with them much outside of the commanders' meetings.

Noriko had been the commander of Duck Team's Type 89 since last year, while Mutsuki and Tsuchiya were stepping up this year to command Sparrow Team's Cromwell and Leopon Team's Porsche Tiger, respectively. All of them had their respective tank crews and groups of friends, girls from their respective clubs who shared their interests. Two of the clubs had been shut down due to a lack of members, and Miho wondered if the same would befall the auto club if it were not so vitally useful to the tankery team, acting as a repair crew and doing the tasks that larger schools entrusted to specialized mechanics. In spite of that, the girls had a lot in common, and so remained close friends and effective teams in combat.

Miho realized this was the first time she had laid eyes on Tsuchiya and Noriko in their school uniforms, rather than their mechanic coveralls and gym clothes, respectively, or in the uniforms they wore for the tankery team.

"Nishizumi-san?" Mutsuki said. "Do you have a minute?"

"Certainly, Tsuyama-san," Miho said. "What's this about?"

"Noriko, Tsuchiya-san and I were wondering- did you meet with the new Student Council yet?" Mutsuki said.

"I did," Miho said.

"What did they want to talk with you about?" Noriko said. "And what kind of impression did you get of them?"

"Essentially, they told us to keep up the success and prove that the tankery team is an asset to the school," Miho said."As for the Student Council, they're very stern and pragmatic, but they take the school's best interests very seriously. Things will be hard for us, but we'll be able to deal with it."

"I see," Mutsuki said. "That's about what I'd expect from them."

"Yeah, I agree, Mutsuki," Noriiko said. "It's not like we'd just get our clubs back, even if we helped the school stay open."

"Just wondering, but do the two of you know each other?" Miho said, taking note of Noriko and Mutsuki's use of each other's first names.

"We've been friends since our first year," Noriko said. "In addition to having the same classes all through high school, we have one other thing in common- being in charge of a club that got shut down last year, and doesn't have much hope of getting back up this year."

"That's true," Mutsuki said. "We met with the Student Council earlier today, and they said that even though we'd met the membership requirements, we'd need a little more interest to qualify for funding."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Miho said. "But what about you, Tsuchiya-san?"

"I'm more of an acquaintance to Tsuyama-san and Isobe-san," Tsuchiya said. "But I also am the leader of a club, with a responsibility to my club members, so I have some understanding of what they're dealing with. I'm sure you know that it means leading your people, managing what you have, and looking out for your club's interests."

"I know," Miho said, reminded of how she wondered whether she would have to negotiate with the Student Council to allow the tankery club to keep running.

"Not all of us were interested in tankery from the very beginning," Noriko said. "Akebi, Shinobu, Taeko and I initially got involved in this in hopes of getting our club going again. Playing volleyball with your friends doesn't have quite as nice of a ring to it as playing as part of a school club. But over time, as we did tankery together, we began to enjoy it more, as something we do together with our friends, for the sake of our school. Even if the school isn't going to be shut down this year, this much hasn't changed."

"The same goes for us, too," Mutsuki said, "and I would point out that Momo and Kaori mainly came to both the club and the tankery team because of Kajiki-senpai and Kanbara-senpai's respective invitations. Momo in particular was happy to stay with Kajiki-senpai as long as she could. Even after those who invited them graduated, they're continuing onward, and we have some recruits this year."

"I think Nodoka-san mentioned that two of her friends were joining earlier," Miho said. "Is that correct?"

"Yes; two of Haramura-san's friends and classmates from middle school- Yumeno Maho-san, and Murohashi Hiroko-san- are joining the club as well as the tankery team," Mutsuki said. "Just wondering, but do you know them?"

Miho shook her head. While Miho was friends with Nodoka, Nodoka had quite a few disparate groups of friends over the years, apart from those she had made at Oarai Academy, and while Miho was one of her friends, not all of Nodoka's friends knew each other.

"Not quite; I heard about those two, even before I met them late last year, even if I don't know them personally," Miho said. "Yumeno-san is joining Octopus Team as the new driver, replacing Nodoka-san, who has now become their commander. And Murohashi-san is coming to your team, if I recall correctly."

"That's correct," Mutsuki said. "I might be commander of Octopus Team now, but as luck would have it, we have someone who's expressed interest in being our new loader."

* * *

_Earlier that day_

Tanaka Anko, a third-year, approached the table where the Mahjong Club was recruiting new members for the effort to revive the club. The table was a relatively plain table with a somewhat hastily-made sign for the mahjong club, a picture of a mahjong game in progress, a copy of the rules for the club and a sign-up sheet. Since the mahjong club was essentially a dead group that was trying to come back to life, joining such a club was a difficult sell for most people, even those interested in mahjong, and few people so much as slowed down when they walked by the club's table.

Anko reasoned that most would wonder why she was coming back now. In her first year, she had come to the mahjong club, but was disappointed by the relative lack of activity in it. Eventually, she stopped coming regularly, and by the end of the year, was effectively a ghost member; one of the few times she showed up in her first year, Yumi had to ask her for her name. By the end of the year, she had stopped coming at all.

Then, in her second year, she had heard that the mahjong club had been disbanded. Although she later heard that the club was disbanded due to budgetary reasons, she wondered if its fate would have been different, had she been there to support it. For the rest of the year, she wallowed in her guilt, unsure of what she could do, save for the participation in tankery, which seemed to be an impractical way of reviving the club. A part of her was scared to face the clubmates she had abandoned.

But now that she saw the club recruiting, and realized that the remaining members had not given up hope, however slim their chances seemed, she knew what she had to do. She would go before them and offer her help, hoping that they would welcome her as they would any new member.

Anko almost froze upon seeing Mutsuki at the table, one of the few people she recognized from the club. She hesitated a moment, worrying about how Mutsuki would react ot an individual who had walked away from the club before, and froze in place. She lingered too long, enough to seem like someone who was browsing with an interest in the club, so Mutsuki noticed her and greeted her, hoping to get her attention before she wandered off.

"Hello," Mutsuki said. "Are you interested in the mahjong club?"

"Tsuyama-san?" Anko said. "Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me," Mutsuki said, wondering how Anko knew her name. Did she hear Mutsuki's name from somewhere, or had they met before? "I'm President of the Mahjong club. But, if I may ask, how do you know me?"

Anko sighed.

"I was a member of the club once, but lost interest after a while," Anko said. "I… couldn't live with the knowledge that the club was disbanded because I wasn't there, so I came back."

"I see," Mutsuki said. "We're not likely to go anywhere any time soon, but we also take part in tankery, as Sparrow team, crew of the Cromwell. Can I count on you to stick with us in our efforts to re-establish ourselves, and possibly help us in tankery as a loader?"

Anko paused to consider what Mutsuki was saying, not wanting her response to be too quick to sound sincere. Mutsuki was asking a fair amount of her, and seemed to realize that it was a difficult sell.

"Yes," Anko said enthusiastically. "You can count on me to work toward reviving the club and loading for you, President Tsuyama."

During lunch, Mutsuki led Anko to a club room, to get her started with the club and introduce the other members to her.

"We don't really have an 'official' meeting spot anymore," Mutsuki said, "but this room serves as our meeting spot. Come on in; everyone should be in here already."

Mutsuki opened the door, and ushered Anko inside. Four sets of eyes, only three of which Anko could see, turned to her.

"Everyone," Mutsuki said, "we have a new member and a volunteer for our tankery team. Her name is Tanaka Anko-san."

Mutsuki then turned to Anko.

"Tanaka-san, I'd like to introduce everyone else," Mutsuki said. She gestured to a blonde who was wearing glasses. "This is Senoo Kaori, the only other third year besides us. She's been a member since last year."

"N-nice to meet you," Kaori said. She was a bit shy by nature, and felt out of her depth when faced with the prospect of being one of the most senior members of the club, compared to her easygoing childhood friend, Kanbara Satomi.

"Next is Touyoko Momoko, or 'Momo' to her friends," Mutsuki said, gesturing at an empty space that soon revealed a girl with shoulder-length dark hair. "Momo's a second-year, and has been in the club since she first came to Oarai."

"Nice to meet you~su!" Momo said, slightly startling Anko. In spite of her lack of presence that often caused her to be almost invisible, when with her friends, Momo was cheerful and energetic with her friends, especially her best friend and former senpai, Kajiki Yumi.

"The other two are Yumeno Maho-san and Murohashi Hiroko-san," Mutsuki said. "They like mahjong as a hobby, and are also interested in tankery.

The short girl with purple hair and the taller girl with dark hair nodded and bowed, saying, "Nice to meet you, senpai."

Anko could not help but feel impressed by the commitment they had demonstrated, and wondered if she was simply trying out the club, or here to stay. But while she couldn't decide whether the club had changed, or if only her perception of it had, there seemed to be hope in it.

* * *

_Present day_

"I only learned who Tanaka-san was when I checked the roster from last year," Mutsuki said. "But to be honest, I didn't really hold her losing interest against her, especially not when I didn't remember her. And even if I did, I'm not about to turn away help. She's not the only one who gave up on the club, but _is_ the only one of those people who came back, and I'm glad she did."

"That's the spirit," Miho said.

"Yeah, I'm glad to hear that your new recruits are flexible, Mutsuki," Noriko said, "because unfortunately, the same can't be said for mine. I got a few people who wanted to get involved in volleyball, but aren't interested in tankery- one's parents won't let her do it, another says the student council is stringing us along with the hopes of reviving our club, and the rest won't elaborate. "

"I see," Miho said. "That's unfortunate, but I suppose it would be a bit much to ask them to get involved in tankery for the faint hope of getting their club back."

Mutsuki and Noriko nodded. Since their clubs were defunct, they had no official authority to compel their members to participate in another club for the sake of getting the club going again.

"I'll be honest with you, Nishizumi-san," Noriko said. "I'm glad to be of help to you in tankery and really enjoy doing it with my teammates and the others, but I would like to get the club going again, and not just for my sake. Akebi, Taeko and Shinobu came to the school wanting to play volleyball, only for it to get cut no sooner than they arrived, and I'd like for them and all other girls who are interested to have a chance to do what they love most. Did you know that the outfits those three wear to tankery practice are their old school's volleyball uniforms?"

"I think I did hear that, once," Miho said. "Apparently, their old school had a somewhat robust volleyball team, but no tankery team."

"Yeah, the three of them wanted to do volleyball as much as I did," Noriko said, "and given that I sometimes imagine seeing volleyballs when looking at our... more endowed... teammates, I can't blame them."

_"And it's just my luck that you chose Haramura-san as your vice-captain,"_ Noriko thought. _"She might be one of the few with any leadership experience in tankery prior to coming here, but why does she have to also have the largest chest of all of us?"_

"So that's why I'd like to get the club started again," Noriko said, "for the sake of all those girls who love volleyball and want to share their passion with others."

"I know where they're coming from, even if we, the auto club, are better off than the others," Tsuchiya said, having remained silent during the discussion of resurrecting their clubs, unsure of what she could say. "Some of our new arrivals are significantly more interested in cars than tanks."

"But aren't some of them coming to the tankery team?" Miho said.

"Yes, some of them are," Tsuchiya said, "specifically, a trio of first-years; Gotou, Rokubungi and Nanami. But even they are worried about the auto club being used as a tool for the tankery team by the student council, given the red tape surrounding maintenance. We have to document everything we use for tankery, as well as non-tank projects. And what are we getting in return?" Tsuchiya paused, wondering how she was coming across to Miho. "Maybe it sounds selfish, but I can't fault them for thinking of it that way, or being concerned over how we might end up."

Miho shook her head with a reassuring smile, and looked Tsuchiya in the eye.

"I don't think so, Tsuchiya-san," Miho said. "Please feel free to discuss your concerns with me. I can't promise that I can solve your problems, but I can lend a sympathetic ear."

"Thanks, Nishizumi-san," Tsuchiya said.

Having remained silent so that she could consider what to say, Mutsuki now spoke. She was somewhat cautious and less than fully confident by nature, so she was sometimes afraid of offending people. But part of her believed that they had to hear what she had to say, and so she said it.

"I understand your problems and sympathize, Noriko, Tsuchiya-san," Mutsuki said. "But there are those who aren't so fortunate. The vice president mentioned in passing that she used to be part of the now defunct shogi club. When that club shut down, all the members went their separate ways, without trying to revive the club, and the vice president herself admitted she was somewhat apathetic about the club despite being its leader."

"I see what you mean," Miho said. She had originally refused to get involved in tankery again and had been reluctant to lead, but had gradually learned to enjoy tankery again and embrace leading the team. She was glad that she had done so for many reasons, with the most important being that she could not have succeeded had she not participated wholeheartedly.

"For both of our respective clubs, and the tankery club as a whole, we're blessed with good people who are willing to do their part for the group," Mutsuki said. "Being dissolved hasn't broken our spirit, which is why I think the mahjong and volleyball clubs can re-establish themselves, and the Auto Club won't fall apart or become a mere tool of the tankery team."

Noriko nodded.

"Yeah," Noriko said. "Even the girls who are just showing up to do volleyball with us when we can are doing a lot more than most people could ask of them unde these circumstances."

"Both of you are right," Miho said. "And it may just be me, but I got the sense that the Student Council put themselves to the same scrutiny, and are willing to make the same sacrifices themselves. One principle of leadership I find important to follow is to not ask your subordinates to make sacrifices that you would not make yourself."

"Yeah," Noriko said. "I practice when I can, partly because I don't want to be outdone by the new arrivals, but also so that I have a leg to stand on when I ask my teammates to keep up with their training, even if tankery keeps us busy."

The other club heads nodded in agreement. Times were still difficult at Oarai, and a great deal would be asked of all four of them in their final year at the school.

Sitting off in the distance, Ayano could not help but hear snippets of the conversation, enough to understand the gist of it if not all the specifics. She was aware that for every club that suffered cutbacks or was cut entirely, others were spared. There were times when people would have to make sacrifices for the collective good. Even if not everyone made the same sacrifices, everyone would be better off in the end. Every time she attended class, she was reminded that she, too, was part of the student body.

But she also believed that it was important to see the human face of the clubs with whom she dealt, and realize there was more to the issue than numbers. Her job, and that of the rest of the Student Council, impacted the lives of all of Oarai's students, and she found it important to understand the impact of those decisions.

* * *

Elsewhere, Reizei Mako settled into her class for afternoon classes. She was more used to being separated from her friends than Miho was, having been separated from her childhood friend, Takebe Saori, every year since she started high school. Saori, having always been more outgoing than Mako, had told her that getting separate classes from her friends helped her meet new people; she had met their mutual friend Isuzu Hana in their first year, and Miho and Akiyama Yukari in their second. Who, then, would Saori and Mako meet in their third year?

As Mako pondered this question, a voice near her interrupted her train of thought.

"Reizei Mako-san?" the girl sitting next to her said.

"You know me?" Mako said. Not having met the vice-president of the Student Council before, she did not know Shiina's name.

"Well, you are one of the best drivers on the tankery team," Shiina said. "And you're at the top of the class; my mom says I should do more to get myself up to your level, even if I'm near the top of the class."

"Does this include being late so much you almost get held back?" Mako said.

Shiina laughed.

"Good one, Reizei-san," Shiina said. "But in all seriousness, I'm not that different from you. I may be one of the top students, behind you, the president and a few others, but I do well at school and as vice president because it keeps people off my back."

"So you're on the student council?" Mako said.

"Yeah, I'm forgetting my manners," Shiina said. "My name's Fujino Shiina, and I'm the student council's vice-president."

Mako nodded, noticing that Shiina seemed significantly more lively than she was, even if she disliked hard work.

"It's nice to meet you, Fujino-san," Mako said, "or should I call you by your title?"

"I only go by my title on official business, and it gets a bit awkward calling everyone else by theirs, especially my best friend, Natsumi," Shiina said. "The president insists, though, so I have to do it."

"Sounds like the president is pretty difficult to work under," Mako said.

"The president's fairly strict about those things," Shiina said, "but she's also really smart, hard-working and principled. I'm partly motivated to act because I'm afraid of her, but I also do what I do because I respect her."

"Does she have a bad temper?" Mako said, reminded of her grandmother, Reizei Hisako. Mako was largely motivated to keep her grades up, get to school on time and do many other things she was otherwise reluctant to do to avoid being yelled at by her grandmother, but also so that she could one day care for her elderly grandmother, the last living relative she had left.

"Not really," Shiina said. "When she gets mad, she doesn't lose control, but is calm, yet focused and intense. It's pretty much like the Phoenix Matriarch's Incineration Beam from Ancient Legacy Online; it's a single target attack that pretty much kills you instantly unless you're a tank, have _a lot_ of fire resistance _and_ pop a defensive cooldown."

"Come again, in Japanese?" Mako said, confused.

"Ah, sorry, I forget that not a lot of people at this school play that game," Shiina said. "Even my gamer friends like playing tank games instead. But in any case, the point is that if you work under the president, you do what she says."

"I see your point" Mako said.

As Shiina began to talk about her various day-to-day responsibilities as vice president, Mako noticed that Shiina was starting to sound like a professional member of the student council. Perhaps there were those who, like her, struggled to conform to people' s expectations. Perhaps there was no better place for her than doing tankery under someone like Miho, who led a team full of people who would be out of place in elite tankery schools to victory in the high school tankery tournament.

_"Miho really does have all sorts of students on the tankery team," _Mako thought. _"I wonder who else will be new this year."_

* * *

As the first tankery practice of the semester in the tankery hangar, Miho looked over the application forms of the new people on the team. Among them were the applications from the four Student Council members who, true to their word, had joined the tankery team. Their applications were similar to many of the other newcomers, indicating no experience but abundant willingness to learn and work hard.

"It's good to see you and the others here, President," Miho said as she greeted the four newcomers.

"Please, Commander, there is no need to call us by our titles while we are outside of student council business," Shizuru said, "since this is now _your_ club, and we are _your_ subordinates. The four of us discussed this earlier."

"I'll try to do so, Mikado-san," Miho said, having memorized the names of the new arrivals to the tankery team, the student council in particular. "But I'm not particular about my title, either; 'Nishizumi-san' will work both inside and outside of the tankery team."

"Very well, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said. "The four of us are willing to do whatever tasks you require of us, up to and including sitting on the bench if there is no available spot."

"We're always looking for new talent," Miho said, "so there are open tanks for you. I had considered putting the four of you in the Hetzer, the tank crewed by your predecessors, but..."

"But?" Shiina said.

"I've been able to find replacements for all the other teams," Miho said. "Two of the members of the new mahjong club are filling the missing spots on Sparrow Team, and one is helping Octopus Team. We have three new members from the Auto Club to replace those from Leopon Team who graduated. Mallard Team has a new commander. But even if we put the four of you in the Hetzer as the new Turtle Team, that leaves Anteater Team's Chi-Nu with only two people."

"Is that a bad thing?" Shiina said.

"It should have five people total," Miho said. "And while some of our tanks have to make do while slightly shorthanded, we can't get by with only two people in Anteater Team."

In the background, a third-year known as Nekota, a tall yet surprisingly shy girl with long blonde hair, odd glasses and cat ears, walked up to the group. While not on the same level of invisibility as Momo from the mahjong club, Nekota tended to be somewhat bashful, and often faded into the background, often having difficulty saying hello to people.

But as Nekota approached, one member of the Student Council turned to glance at her, and, upon recognizing her, didn't look away. Nekota recognized her as well; while she was bashful toward a stranger, she was comfortable around her friends.

"Hi, Misha-san!" Nekota called out upon noticing Shiina

"Nekota!" Shiina said, losing her composure for a moment, "I told you not to call me by my username in public!"

Shiina then glanced back at the other Student Council members, who remained silent as Shiina's jaw dropped. What little she had said in an attempt to keep her private life private had evidently been too much.

"The cat's out of the bag, Shiina," Natsumi said. "I get that you're committed to being professional, but you shouldn't be so worried about Mikado-san and Satou-san finding out what you do on your own time."

"I wholeheartedly agree with Teradaira-san," Shizuru said. "So long as your performance remains good, Fujino-san, what you do in your free time in the privacy of your own home is your business alone. But it seems you have some friends who share that hobby, do you not?"

"Yeah," Shiina said, somewhat more comfortable as a result of her relief. "Nekota, I'd like to introduce you to my fellow Student Council members. You've head of my best friend, Natsumi, and met the commander before, but this is the president, Mikado Shizuru-san, and the treasurer, Satou Ayano-san."

"Pleased to meet you," they said.

"In any case, Fujino-san," Miho said, "You have worked with Nekota-san and the other members of Anteater Team before, have you not?"

"I guess," Shiina said. "It's just an online tank game, and they know already that it's no substitute for experience. I saw what happened in the finals myself; they barely lasted a minute in battle against the former champions."

"Then, might it be a good idea for you to be the third member of Anteater team, given that you have worked well with the others before?" Miho said. "I understand the difference between games and reality. But if you're still learning the ropes, it might be best to do so alongside those you already work well with."

"Sounds like a good idea," Shiina said. "I'm up for it, Nishizumi-san."

"That's good to hear," Miho said. "You should start getting settled into your new team. I have some other people who need help, but I'll stop by later to see how you're doing."

Shiina began to leave to join up with Anteater Team, while Miho moved on to some of the others who needed her help. Before leaving, however, Shiina stopped and turned to Natsumi.

"What is it, Shiina?" Natsumi said, in an informal and slightly blunt tone she never used in her duties as a public relations representative, with her teachers, or around most of her schoolmates.

"I'll have you know that the Commander most likely knows that you're putting on an act with that smile of yours, Natsumi," Shiina said. "I think she's probably had you figured out all along, but she didn't say it outright."

"Well, smiling has its uses, even if you don't mean it," Natsumi said. "I've said before that people tend to be more cooperative and approving of me if I smile at them and act pleasantly, and I believe this applies for tankery as much as it does to the student council. We are the newcomers, after all, and we need to make a good impression."

"You may be right," Shiina said. "But while I might have my own biases that influence me and reasons for saying this, I think that the Commander is the sort who will like the sort of person you really are more."

"Well, relaxing and being myself around her isn't exactly easy," Natsumi said, "considering our relationship as leader and subordinate is not unlike the one we share with the president. It certainly isn't any easier than your disclosing your private hobbies in front of the entire team is."

"Point taken," Shiina said. "Still, even if they're like-minded individuals, I have friends who accept me for who I am- one of whom is you. Keep that in mind."

Natsumi nodded as Shiina parted ways with her, and rejoined the others.

"I'm sorry I'm late, President, Treasurer," Natsumi said. "I was talking to the vice president."

"You don't need to use our titles here, Teradaira-san," Shizuru said, "not on me, not on Ayano, and certainly not on your best friend, Fujino-san. As I said before, they mean nothing if we're rank-and-file members of the tankery team."

"I understand, Mikado-san," Natsumi said. "But in the end, you are still my and Satou-san's direct superior, are you not?"

"I am," Shizuru said. "But at the same time, I'm one of many newcomers, still learning how to use our tanks and hoping to be of use to the team. I do not intend to use that as an excuse for my mistakes or failures, but I acknowledge my place in the team, and will do my best for everyone's sake. Can I count on you to do that?"

"Yes ma'am," Natsumi said.

"You can, Shizuru," Ayano said.

Shizuru nodded approvingly. Neither the process of learning tankery nor leading the student government would be easy, but she was glad to have people who were committed to the process. As long as they were, none of the challenges they would ace would be insurmountable.

* * *

Elsewhere, Mako, while walking around helping drivers, noticed one girl who seemed oddly familiar. With shoulder-length hair in a bob haircut, she looked like Sono Midoriko- known to her as Sodoko- and the other members of the disciplinary committee, who looked highly similar to each other, and Mako recognized the girl's disciplinary committee armband. But the girl more often heard people say that she resembled her paternal cousin, a girl one year older than she was who had graduated from Black Forest.

"Reizei Mako-san?" the girl said. "I thought I'd find you here."

"Sorry, but who are you?" Mako said. "I think I've vaguely seen you somewhere before, but then again, pretty much everyone on the disciplinary committee looks like Sodoko."

"Hirose Satomi, third-year and new head of the disciplinary committee," the disciplinary committee member said. "I've also been appointed leader of Mallard Team, as a result of the others wanting to stick with their previous roles, and wanting their leader to command them."

Mako thought about the other members of the disciplinary committee. She remembered Gotou "Gomoyo" Moyoko and Konparu "Pazomi" Nozomi, Sodoko's colleagues on the disciplinary committee and crewmates, as well as the fact that, as less experienced members of the team, their performance was mediocre at best. Mako thus understood why they wanted to stay with their positions, knowing that it would be a hassle to retrain in another position, even though Mako herself knew how to drive several of the team's tanks just by reading the manual. Gomoyo and Pazomi also looked quite like Sodoko, as did the girl standing before Mako, so Mako could not say for certain whether she had met their new leader before.

"Ah, nice to meet you, Saro," Mako said.

Saro rolled her eyes, a far cry from the angry outburst that would be Sodoko's traditional response to her nickname.

"So I suppose this is some sort of tradition you have, Reizei-san," Saro said. "Assigning nicknames to the hall monitors immediately after meeting them. I always found your nicknames a bit weird, and felt the same way about how the tanks here are named after animals."

"It helps me tell all of you apart," Mako said.

Saro let off a soft sigh of annoyance.

"I can't say I entirely approve," Saro said, "but unlike Sodoko, I won't waste my breath making futile attempts to get you to refrain from calling me that. It's a bit like getting the History Club to give up their costumes."

Saro's mind went back to how the disciplinary committee had little ability to enforce the dress code, since they could only send students home if they were not wearing the uniform at all. This, among other issues, frustrated Sodoko, and led some, such as Saro's aunt and uncle, to see the morals committee as toothless.

"But Sodoko's fine with you using her nickname?" Mako said.

"Surprisingly enough, she is," Saro said. "In spite of her image as an unyielding enforcer of the rules, she does make compromises from time to time, especially for her friends."

Mako nodded, remembering how, after the victory in the tournament, Sodoko had deleted all of her tardies and unexcused absences in the record. The benefits offered by the student council had included 200 tardiness passes for effective tankers. While Sodoko had initially opposed the incentives as enabling bad behavior, she had gone above and beyond what Mako was promised, because Mako had been instrumental in saving the school. Sodoko had a great deal of respect for Mako's skill in tankery, and appreciation for her contribution to winning the tournament, even if she found it difficult to openly admit either feeling.

"So what do you think, Saro?" Mako said. "You think you could let me into that club?"

"Maybe, Reizei-san," Saro said noncommittally. "We'll have to see about that."

Mako couldn't help but smile. The new head of the disciplinary committee seemed in many ways different than the old one. She was serious about her job but too cynical to carry it out with the same zeal that Sodoko did. She was formal and a stickler for manners, but it was leavened with a sense of humor and occasional sarcasm. She had her buttons that could be pushed, as everyone did, but had far less of a reaction to hers being pushed than Sodoko did.

_"I think I might be starting to like this one,"_ Mako thought. _"Or rather, it might be easier to admit to liking her than it is for Sodoko."_

* * *

The training of some of the new members in their respective roles began, with many of the more experienced members mentoring the newer ones, even if that was a relative term. Some of the tanks with newcomers went to the firing range, with experienced gunners and loaders sitting in the commander and radio operator seats to supervise the process. Experienced commanders, like Miho and Nodoka, sat in on other crews and guided them through the processes, while some commanders also helped their own crews.

While progress was being made, Someya Mako, the radio operator for the P44 Tas, Octopus Team's tank, realized that there was a problem. The more experienced and knowledgeable members could not be everywhere at once, so some of the members who had only started last year had to share their knowledge, recently-acquired as it may be, with the newcomers.

"I was hoping some of you could help me out a little here," Mako said. "I can't teach all the newbies by myself."

"You're asking _us_, Someya-san?" Kaori said nervously, fidgeting with a lock of her long blonde hair. "Most of us are newcomers to tankery."

"So was I last year," Mako said. "Essentially all I'd done before now was read some books, and had no practical experience. In terms of seniority, all of you are second- or third-years, and all of you have tankery experience, which is more than can be said for the newcomers. It's time to step up and help your less experienced teammates."

"Someya-san's right, Kaorin," Saori said. "We're not amateurs anymore. I even got a Amateur Radio Operator Level 2 license last summer. A bit of studying, and you can achieve the same thing."

Utsugi Yuuki, the radio operator for the M3 Lee, Rabbit Team's tank, could not help but smile with amusement at Saori's confidence. Saori had the same approach to giving advice about relationships, even if she never had a boyfriend. Yuuki's boyfriend had broken up with her over her taking tankery, and she had no idea what she could have done. In spite of how it ended, wanted to try again, but had not succeeded in even finding a boy who fit her interests. If Saori spoke in terms of romantic fantasy and ideals, Yuuki had some idea of how reality could be less than pleasant. The same went for tankery; while Anglerfish Team was the top crew in the team, Rabbit Team faced a great deal of setbacks and bad luck, trying their determination and their fortitude.

But she realized Saori had a point. Things had not always gone swimmingly for Rabbit Team team, often due to bad luck and sometimes due to their own mistakes. Despite, or rather, because of those difficulties, every battle was a chance to learn from their mistakes, and improve further.

"I agree, Saori-senpai," Yuuki said. "Ayumi-chan and Aya-chan are helping out the gunners. Karina-chan's helping with the drivers, even if she has trouble explaining her technique to the others, Let's do what we can to smooth the learning curve for our kouhais, and ensure they have an easier time adjusting to tank combat.

* * *

That evening, Nodoka called her father, Haramura Kei, to let him know what was happening in her life. She was hardly expecting any sympathy, since Kei was strict, slightly cynical and not much for sentimentalism. In spite of that, she was interested in hearing what he had to say, seeing a bit of his attitude in the new student government.

"I see," he said in response to the student council's plan. "I didn't think that the situation would be resolved just by winning the tournament, but the situation doesn't seem to be at all hopeless. MEXT has given Oarai a new lease on life, and left it up to the school authorities to manage it well enough to remain open. All things considered, the student government seems to be doing the best it can."

"What do you mean by 'all things considered,' Father?" Nodoka said.

"Essentially that of all the choices they have, they're choosing the best possible ones, Nodoka," Kei said. "Do keep in mind that they are essentially politicians, and even if they're not looking out for their own political interests, they also have to take into account the various realities of governing the student body. The decisions they make may not necessarily be the decisions they _want_ to make."

Nodoka's father found little humor in jokes about politicians being self-serving and corrupt. He believe that those who made them missed the reality of the situation, and were holding politicians to unrealistically high standards, even if he conceded that not all of them were of good moral character. To him, it was all too easy to judge someone's decision from an outsider's perspective, without knowing what that person knew, and not knowing what that person did not.

"I understand and agree, Father," Nodoka said. "But I'm also glad that they have been as forthcoming with us as is reasonably possible, including telling us the things they can't say with absolute certainty. As such, Miho-senpai and I know exactly what to do; win and prove that we have a good tankery team."

"That's good to hear, Nodoka," Kei said. "Then if you believe that course of action will be best for the school, by all means pursue it."

Nodoka nodded. Even if there would be many challenges to deal with even before Oarai faced its reinvigorated rivals, she believed she and her school could rise to face them. She had helped the team win the last tournament to prove that there was value in her school, and because her team had succeeded, she believed she had what was necessary to keep winning and continue to prove their worth.

The conversation soon concluded, with Kei telling Nodoka to "keep up the good work." A few minutes after finishing the call, Nodoka heard a knock on the door.

"I'm coming," Nodoka said.

Opening the door, she saw five figures standing nearby.

There was Someya Mako, now in her final year of high school. She was the most senior member of Octopus Team, but deferred to Nodoka's leadership, just as she deferred to her old friend and the former treasurer Takei Hisa's. In spite of her initial disappointment in Oarai's lack of a tankery team, she was glad to finish her high school years at Oarai, and even more glad that she was able to help keep it open through winning the tankery tournament.

There was Kataoka Yuuki, Nodoka's first friend from middle school, who had introduced her to the rest of the middle school club. While their senpai, Kirame, had chosen to go to Saunders, Yuuki had followed Nodoka to Oarai, and hoped to graduate from there together.

There was Miyanaga Saki, Nodoka's best friend. She had entered the tournament to reconcile with her sister, Miyanaga Teru, and also stood by Nodoka in her quest to achieve her own goals.

And there were Murohashi Hiroko and Yumeno Maho, Nodoka's two friends and kohais from middle school. Maho had hoped to follow Nodoka to high school to do tankery under her, and had Nodoka gone to Kitaniji Prep as her father had hoped, Maho would have had little chance of passing the entrance exam.

All of Nodoka's high friends who were still in high school were together now, attending school with, living near and doing tankery with her. She saw it as her reward for winning, and hoped to make the most of this time with them for as long as she could.

* * *

Elsewhere, at Rhineland University, Miho and Saki's older sisters, Nishizumi Maho and Miyanaga Teru, sat with their mutual friend Hirose Sumire at a table at an on-campus dining hall, having lunch. Maho and Teru had once been nothing more than colleagues among Black Forest's leadership, but near the end of high school, they had begun to confide in each other more, and had become friends. Around this time, Sumire had befriended Maho as well, having spent a fair amount of time with her and being grateful that Maho had reached out to Teru.

"You seem to be in a good mood today, Sumire," Teru said.

"My cousin Satomi's joining Oarai's tankery team," Sumire said. "Do you remember her?"

"I recall you mentioning her a few times, even if we've never met," Teru said. "I didn't know she was interested in tankery."

"My aunt and uncle did their best to discourage her from doing tankery," Sumire said, "while 'encouraging' her to work on the disciplinary committee with the same fervor that mine wanted me to succeed at tankery. It must have been quite a task for Satomi to convince her parents that commanding a tank's part of the responsibilities of being head of the disciplinary committee."

Teru turned to Maho, who was quietly eating, not sure of what she could say.

"Sorry, Maho," Sumire said. "I didn't mean to prattle on about my family issues, when you have issues of your own."

"It's alright, Sumire," Maho said. "If your cousin genuinely likes tankery, then she's making the most of her current situation, not unlike how I am."

"Ah yes, Miho," Teru said. "There really aren't many people who can find satisfaction from their sisters' happiness like you can, Maho."

Teru said those words with a hint of guilt in her voice. Maho strove to live up to her mother's expectations- which many, Teru included, found almost impossible- so that Miho would not have to. Teru, on the other hand, had been estranged from Saki for years after the death of their relative Mizuho. Miho and Maho remained close in spite of the persona Maho was required to adopt as part of her duties as commander and Nishizumi heiress. By comparison, the Miyanaga sisters had only started talking again after the last tournament, and while they had confronted the most difficult issues, they had yet to banish the awkwardness between them. Teru felt many emotions when reminded of those differences between her and Maho's relationships with their respective sisters, and chief among them was blaming herself for things coming to this point.

At the time of their parents' separation, Teru had her reasons for not wanting to talk with Saki, but all of them felt like mere rationalizations in hindsight. So, too, did her reasons for doing tankery, now that one of the family members she did it with was dead and the other was at another school. Teru had been angry that Saki had quit tankery after the tragedy that had claimed Mizuho's life, believing that Saki wanted to distance herself from her painful memories, but Teru was no longer sure of why she wanted to do it. Teru had thus chosen to take a hiatus from tankery, at least for her freshman year of university, while she mended her relationship with Saki and thought over her reasons for doing tankery.

An awkward silence had descended, while Teru wrestled with her thoughts. Maho spoke in order to change the subject, suspecting that Teru's thoughts were taking her to dark places again.

"In any case, it's up to Miho to make full use of the opportunities given to her, and she's done so well," Maho said. "Her, Saki and Satomi's school remains open, and will likely enter the tournament again. Of course, our old school, along with many of Oarai's old opponents and schools they haven't faced yet will be redoubling their efforts. She has what is necessary to keep winning, though, and all I can do as her sister is wish her the best."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

So begins the sequel to Necessary to Win, the final installment in the series. A major theme of this story will be how Oarai can, after winning the tournament and saving the school, keep its school and its team around for years to come.

This chapter sets the stage for some of the events to come, and gives you some idea of who will be prominent this time. For example, Nodoka will be replacing Saki as a secondary protagonist.

The new student council will play an especially prominent role in the story. They have their own set of priorities now that they no longer need to save the school, and tankery is no longer vitally important. However, they're also willing to work with- and _under_\- Miho toward that end (By contrast, I notice in canon that Momo seems to order Miho and the others around and stress that they improve themselves, which rings hollow given that Momo is an utterly incompetent gunner and subpar commander who never improves in either aspect) and are also quite up front with Miho about the things she needs to know. In addition to being somewhat more pragmatic, they're also significantly more serious and professional than the Kadotani administration, although they are not infallible, and there may be those who don't like their approach to leadership or their decisions.

A minor note about Shizuru; her dialogue is intended to reflect her speaking very formally, as she does with almost everyone except Ayano when the two of them are off-duty.

One thing many Girls und Panzer fanfics and synopses miss is the fact that Miho did, in the end, choose to do tankery on her own, and for her own purposes. Here, with the school no longer on the line, Miho will have more freedom to lead her own way and do tankery for her own reasons, and the others will once again do tankery as they wish.

Updates on this fic may be slightly slower than the later chapters of Paths Toward Victory, as I work on later chapters in the fic.

Here's the Character Analyses, which, once again, will provide information on the characters' arcs from the author's POV, and also explain how they relate to canon. This time, they will also include some information about how the characters have developed over the course of the story.

Made a few minor changes.

**Character Analysis: Nodoka Haramura**

If there's one phrase that most encapsulates Nodoka's canonical desires, it's "being taken seriously."

In canon and this fic, she knows she's not the absolute best there is at her game, but she believes she's good at it. When she's faced with rumors that her beauty and chest size are the main reasons behind her popularity, she doesn't like them, but she has enough pride to strive to disprove them. She doesn't like to lose, but is resilient enough to soldier on. Above all else, she does not want to be perceived as someone who's fooling around or wasting her time by doing tankey.

As a result, one imagines that she's not happy to hear her father dismiss mahjong as a game of chance, and even less so when he wants to uproot her from her friends once again. In an attempt to stay with her friends, she makes a deal; win the tournament and she will be able to remain at her school. It's a simple matter of proving her commitment and her skill, but Nodoka believes that she has to do this much to convince her father.

Nodoka is fully cognizant of the fact that she's not on top of the food chain, canonically or in here, as you can see in canon when Nodoka, in the quarterfinals, goes up against three older opponents (something that is mostly true in the semifinals, and will be in the finals). In this fic, her experience in the middle school tournament causes her to realize that there are some out there who are simply more skilled and better equipped than she is. But Oarai's victory in the tournament reminds her that such disadvantages can be overcome.

So when Nodoka is given the job of assisting Miho as Oarai's vice captain, she sees it for what it is; a difficult task and a great responsibility, but an opportunity to show Japan what she and her school can do. She is somewhat stricter than Miho, holding others to the same standards as she holds herself; she wants them to do well, but more than anything, to take it seriously, since if they do the latter, the former will follow. Of course, she also respects Miho's leadership style enough to work with her.

**Character Analysis: Kaori Senoo**

In canon, Kaori is a beginner at mahjong, who, like Momo, was brought in at the last minute so that Tsuruga could go to the nationals. But while Momo is quite skilled, Kaori has never played before, Satomi recruited her because they've been friends since they were young. However, she has beginners' luck, enabling her to get a Yakuman that gives Tsuruga a fighting chance. Of course, Tsuruga does eventually get eliminated, and Kaori doesn't get far in the individual tournament.

As you may realize, tankery doesn't have luck in the same way mahjong does, and Kaori doesn't stand out compared to the rest of her peers, so she has neither the advantages nor the disadvantages of her canon counterpart. She's yet another beginner to tankery, who is forced to sink or swim in the national tournament.

Canonically, Kaori's teammates realize that her beginner's luck is a strong asset, enough so that they don't let her practice prior to the individuals, but Yumi floats the idea of making her a stronger player over time. Here, one has to imagine how she will do once she gains more experience over time, and she, like the rest of the returning members, has become a reliable asset to the team.


	2. Veterans and Newcomers

**Chapter 2: Veterans and Newcomers  
**

In the afternoon after the first day of practice, Miho met with her teammates for ice cream in a parlor they often went to since Miho first joined the team.

"Sorry I'm late," Miho said, as she met with the others outside the ice cream place. "I had to meet with the student council about something."

Hana shook her head reassuringly, Yukari simply smiled, and Mako, never one for rushing throughthings, simply yawned contentedly.

"Not a problem, Miporin," Saori said, as she and the others started to head inside and got in line. "What was it about, though?"

"We're looking to see if we can find new or better tanks," Miho said. "Granted, we're barely filling the ones we have at the moment, but any we find would be assets to the team. If we find more, we can potentially expand the team in the future. If we find better ones, we'll be able to fight on more even ground with our stronger opponents."

"Any luck?" Yukari said, on the verge of a 'Panzer High' as she eagerly awaited hearing about any of the school's possible new acquisitions. Yukari was overcome with fangirlish excitement from merely looking at tanks, particularly rare or otherwise noteworthy ones, and this even included the tanks that Oarai's opponents fielded against them.

But Miho sadly shook her head, and Yukari let out a long sigh of disappointment.

"By all indications, Oarai has had only ten tanks for the last two decades," Miho said, "namely, the ten they were unable to sell, and which we ended up finding and using. I think Hana-san learned something to this effect, while sorting through our documents with the former vice president last year, after the first round."

"I did, Miho-san," Hana said. "I'm curious as to how the current student council thinks they can succeed in finding additional tanks after everything their predecessors had tried. Do they perhaps have a new idea?"

Miho nodded. She, too, had considered that question when the student council had shared their plans with her, but she recalled the answer they had given her.

"It's true that last year, we searched the entire ship," Miho said. "Just before the finals, the only tank we found was in an area we had overlooked earlier. But to encourage students to search once again, to take advantage of any possibility of finding assets we could use the student council posted a reward for any individual or group that finds a tank or other parts available."

"What kind of rewards?" Mako said. "Like tardiness passes?"

"You're actually doing pretty well as far as punctuality goes, Mako," Saori said. "You shouldn't need any more to graduate on time, at the rate you're going."

"Actually yes, Mako-san," Miho said. "Students who find and turn in something we can use for tankery can have their pick of the rewards, or give them to someone else as a gift."

"That sounds kind of like the old administration," Mako said disinterestedly. She found the reward an attractive prospect, even if she no longer needed it to go up a year. But at the same time, she had heard that the administration disagreed with its predecessors, so she found it odd that they were going down the same route. When she shared this sentiment with Shiina, the vice president could only shrug and say that the current administration's position vis-a-vis that of their predecessors was not terribly important to her.

"Apparently, the new treasurer thought of that, as well," Miho said. "She seems somewhat more sympathetic to her predecessors than the president does, and the other two appear somewhat ambivalent on the issue."

The subject of the student government was quickly dropped. The group realized none of them knew much about their new government, and there was little point in discussing them until they did.

"It might be nice if we could have a new tank," Saori said. "Then, we'd be able to welcome even more newcomers, just like last year."

"You mean boys, Saori?" Mako said. "The student council already wrote an op-ed in the newspaper saying that they weren't considering making this school coed at this point."

"A girl can dream, Mako," Saori said, her expression wistful.

"Well, they did say 'at this point,' Mako-san," Miho said. "A shift to coed would take some time to implement, and runs the risk of alienating many who wanted this school because it's a girls' school. In fact, it might not attract enough male students to make it worthwhile."

"So there's no real panacea for Oarai's enrollment and budgetary situation, is there?" Saori said.

"Not at all," Miho said. "All of us- the tankery team, the student council, everyone on the ship- are simply making do with what we have, and trying to make the right decisions even when they're not obvious. As commander of this crew and the entire team, I'm no exception."

"Be that as it may, Nishizumi-dono," Yukari said, "you've led us well so far. We of Anglerfish Team, who are also doing the best we can, will continue to believe in you."

"That's the spirit, Yukarin!" Saori said. "Whether in life, tankery, or love, you give it everything you've got!"

"I agree as well," Hana said.

"Yeah," Mako said. "There are things that don't come easily for me, and things I have to try hard for. Giving my all to tankery has been surprisingly worthwhile."

Miho, looking around at her closest friends, smiled. She could not have succeeded last year without the entire team doing their best in spite of their inexperience, and she was particularly grateful for the support her closest friends offered her. Knowing that so many people believed in her helped her believe in herself more, and knowing what she had accomplished with everyone before made her more confident that she and those under her could do so again.

"Thank you, everyone," Miho said.

* * *

After practice ended, Saro spoke with Anko. The two were not only new to tankery this year, but lived fairly close to one another, having apartments in the same complex.

"So, Hirose-san, may I ask why you haven't gotten involved in tankery before?" Anko said. "Your name sounds similar to someone that the Commander mentioned before."

"My family didn't exactly like it," Saro said. "The one you mentioned before was my cousin Sumire, who goes to Black Forest."

"I see," Anko said. "But why does your family dislike tankey, while hers tolerates it?"

"A difference of opinion between our parents, to put it mildly," Saro said. "Our fathers are brothers, and our mothers do not see eye to eye, to put it mildly. Sumire's mother pushed her to excel in tankery, whereas mine had no desire to see me get involved in it, believing that if I joined a team as weak as this, it would be a waste of time. My parents approved of my participation in the more popular and respected disciplinary committee."

"I think I understand the feeling a little," Anko said. "Some may only want to join a winning team to ride its coattails to victory, but realistically speaking, it's certainly better to join a team that has an actual chance." Anko paused, realizing that she was rationalizing her past decisions. "Of course, how well your team does is based on the efforts of those involved, especially yours."

"That's true," Saro said. "Sodoko and the others only got involved when we cleared the semi-finals. And now that we've won the tournament, and the Disciplinary Committee has established something of a tradition of getting involved, even my mother is more tolerant of my participating."

"But doesn't the Disciplinary Committee have roughly 100 members?" Anko said. Oarai's disciplinary committee had certain incentives for participating, mainly related to credits. It was also good for one's resume, and was popular among students who hoped to work in law enforcement in the future. It was time-consuming and had strict rules for its members, but those who could deal with them found the experience highly rewarding in several ways.

"We do," Saro said. "But only a handful of us were willing and able to. Sodoko hoped to provide some degree of oversight to the team, and Gomoyo believed that we'd be best suited to doing that as part of the team. Pazomi went along with them because she agreed with them, while I saw it as a natural extension."

"But if you were just following along with the others, how exactly did you end up as the leader for both the disciplinary committee and its tankery team?" Anko said.

"Neither Gomoyo nor Pazomi are exactly the leader type," Saro said. "Gomoyo's been slightly timid for a disciplinary committee member while Pazomi's relatively quiet, so I hoped to lead them well as the head of the committee and commander of Mallard Team; I did honestly think I was the best suited to lead. That said, you do have a point. My parents, particularly my mother, wanted me to get involved in the disciplinary committee and apply for the leadership position should it become vacant."

"So you did it just because they wanted you to do so?" Anko said.

"Not entirely," Saro said, "and there were two reasons for that. The first is that over time, my work in the disciplinary committee grew on me, and I started taking it more seriously. I'm still not entirely sure how it happened, but I believe part of it was because of Sodoko- while she does often stubbornly fight losing battles against rulebreakers, she does care about the rules a lot."

"That makes sense," Anko said. "In retrospect, Kajiki-senpai was surprisingly serious about the club, as was Kanbara-senpai. Perhaps if I'd spent more time around them, it might have rubbed off of me." Anko paused. "But what was the second reason?"

"The second is that, I realized at some point that I should make the most of my time here," Saro said. "Perhaps the disciplinary committee can't be as powerful or respected as Sodoko would like, but we are the enforcers of the rules, and our work does have an impact on the Oarai school community. It's thus our responsibility to make that impact as great and as beneficial as we can."

While Saro's description of her motives sounded as though she was quoting someone else, and some of her choices had been made for her, part of it resonated with Anko. She had not always been enthusiastic, but she had a choice to made, and had chosen to increase her involvement and take on more responsibility.

"So how does the mahjong club compare to this, Hirose-san?" Anko said.

"To be blunt, Tanaka-san," Saro said, "your club is merely a group in which people can play a game together. But its members do take that game and their association with the club seriously, as we can see in that they're sticking together and want to reform it after its dissolution. Perhaps if I spent as long in the club as Tsuyama-san did- with or without parents who were pushing for me to succeed- I'd feel the same way."

Anko nodded. Perhaps she should think of things differently. Rather than rely on others, or only get involved when they were shorthanded, she should be the change she wished to see in her school, community and world. Her club had no need of leaders at the moment, but it did have need of her, so she would step up and do whatever was necessary for its interests.

* * *

Around the same time, the Student Council walked up to meet with Miho and Nodoka in the tank garage.

"How are the team members coming along, Nishizumi-san?" Shizuru said.

"Relatively well," Miho said. "The three of you, as well as Anteater Team, are getting the hang of your basic skills."

Nodoka nodded, silently concurring with Miho before proceeding. While she did not hesitate to give constructive criticism or share her opinion, when addressing her seniors, she had to temper her remarks with a certain amount of caution and respect. Furthermore, since Miho was both her superior and her senpai, she also was careful to avoid openly contradicting her.

"To be honest, we were worried most about Turtle and Anteater Teams," Nodoka said. "The former is entirely composed of newcomers. The latter was also a relative newcomer that was taken out quickly in last year's finals. I hope you're not offended."

"No offense taken, Haramura-san," Shiina said. "I heard about last year, and how my friends were out of their depth in their first real battle, since their opponent was Black Forest, who won nine times in the past 11 years."

Miho nodded. While Oarai had beaten the odds, the truth was that most of their opponents had more experience than they did. Having lost some of the members who were crucial to their success the previous year, and having had them replaced with newcomers, it was now imperative to get the new members up to speed and improve the other members so that they could lessen their disadvantage.

"That brings me to my next subject," Miho said. "How have you been doing getting an instructor for this year?"

"Ah, yes, I was hoping to speak with you about that," Shizuru said. "Unfortunately, Nishizumi-san, I have a bit of bad news."

Miho resignedly nodded. The student council had already told her that the school did not have the budget to hire a full-time tankery coach, and so had gone to re-apply for the JGSDF's offer for an affordable short-term tankery instructor. Since that was the responsibility of the student council, Shizuru had immediately set about the task of going through the requisite processes, but had not liked the result. She gestured to Ayano, who was better at delivering bad news than she was.

"Instructor Chouno Ami will not be returning," Ayano said. "Her services have already been promised to Joghurt for the early part of this year. They had contacted the JGSDF shortly after their defeat the first round last year, and she was assigned there."

"...Back when we didn't know whether Oarai would remain open," Miho said.

"Exactly," Shizuru said. "She did, however, say that a colleague of hers would be coming- Instructor Takahashi Aiko, an instructor who is a bit more hands-on and strict than she is. Despite their differences, Instructor Chouno says she has the utmost respect for Instructor Takahashi, and hopes we'll work well together."

Miho, having heard about Aiko the previous year, was slightly surprised. Aiko had gone to the Atago school of tankery, but had almost flunked out there, and was cognizant of how she never would have made it at the Nishizumi school. Meanwhile, Ami, who was a student of the Nishizumi school, albeit initially a reluctant one, in addition to her association with the JGSDF was laid-back, cheerful and friendly.

"That should work," Miho said.

"That's good to hear," Shizuru said. "The Instructor will want to talk to you on the phone."

* * *

Miho and Nodoka walked with the student council together to the office, and began the call. After a few minutes, and a conversation with a receptionist, they were placed in contact with Aiko.

"Instructor Takahashi speaking," Aiko said.

"Hello, Instructor, this is Nishizumi Miho," Miho said. "I believe the student council mentioned me earlier?"

"Ah, Nishizumi-san," Aiko said. "It's nice to officially meet you. Your student council, Instructor Atago, Am... pardon me, Instuctor Chouno, told me a little about you. I look forward to working with you."

"Thank you," Miho said. "I'm glad to have your help, Instructor."

"To begin with," Aiko said, "what in particular should I know about your school? The student council told me a little already, but I'd like to know what's most important"

"This year, have a number of new members," Miho said, "and while they've been practicing with their skills, we'd like to get them up to speed and give them more experience so they can perform on par with their more experienced teammates, as well as fight more evenly with their opponents."

"I'd suggest a practice battle of some sort," Aiko said, "whether against their teammates or other schools. This will give them some practical experience, while I can help pinpoint certain areas in which they need improvement."

"That sounds like what Instructor Chouno proposed," Miho said.

"She and I were teaching under the same circumstances, even if we learned under notably different teachers," Aiko said. "At its most basic, practice makes perfect. But on a more advanced level, while a certain amount of theoretical knowledge is helpful, it's no substitute for actual experience."

Miho nodded. She recalled how Yukari was an avid tank fan, but while she started out with competence that few besides Miho possessed, she had gradually improved in her role over time. The same went for Someya Mako, a similar tank enthusiast with an eidectic memory. Even those with no knowledge about tankery had, by participating in many practice battles, become quite skilled.

"I agree, Instructor," Miho said. "I will add that not only is a fair number of my team new this year, but others, including some of those who joined later in the year last year, still lag behind most of their peers."

"That can't be helped, Nishizumi-san," Aiko said. "The presence of weak links and new people who still need breaking in is a given at the start of any new year, outside of schools with a large group of underclassmen who can be sent against other schools in exhibition matches while serving as benchwarmers, so that they aren't completely inexperienced when and if they become regulars. The only question that remains is how you go about helping those newcomers, and that's a large part of why I'm coming to help."

"Understood, Instructor," Miho said.

For a few minutes, Miho and Aiko went into more detail about the teams' performance thus far. Aiko was interested to hear more about Oarai's performance in the past, where it stood and where it hoped to go, but in the end, what she had to say did not change.

"I don't have any further questions to ask at this point," Aiko said. "I have a good idea of where to go from here, although it will largely be the same as what we talked about thus far. We'll discuss it more when I come, but until then, do you or the others have any questions?"

Miho looked around, and the others shook their heads.

"No, ma'am," Miho said.

"That's good," Aiko said. "I'll see you soon, Nishizumi-san."

"Until then, Instructor," Miho said, before hanging up.

Miho realized that a great many of the issues that she dealt with would have to be addressed in the future. While she had lost eleven members from the tankery team this year, she would lose even more next year, resulting in an almost entirely new team. How well Oarai dealt with those issues each year would determine how well it did in the future, but it would not have to do so without help.

* * *

The next day, Aiko walked up to the assembled tankers outside of Oarai's tankery garage. She wore the JGSDF dress uniform for several reasons- because she was ordered to do so, because it was appropriate professional attire and because it was proof of who employed her, and the nature of her assignment. She would do her best to teach these students tankery, because her superiors expected her to do so, because it was what she owed them and because she wanted to do so, but once her time at the school ended, she would move on, regardless of whatever her feelings were.

As someone who had been involved with this process for slightly longer than Ami, Aiko was well aware of how it went. The two instructors, who had become friends as well as colleagues, were aware of the line between the person and the professional. Their duties and their obligations did require them to make difficult decisions at times, particularly when they had to sacrifice doing what they wanted, but at the same time, it kept most issues relatively free of confusion. Ami found this somewhat reminiscent of the Nishizumi school, while Aiko found that it reminded her of her old tankery teacher, but both women accepted it as a reality of their present situation, something that they believed trumped everything else and was a commonality that enabled them to become friends in spite of their different ideologies.

Ami looked around the tankers, formed in orderly rows and standing straight, but not at attention. All of them were wearing the tankery uniforms, a gray Panzer Jacket made by the fashion club over their white sailor fukus. They were disciplined, albeit not up to JGSDF standards, but Aiko did not have the ability or the desire to make them into soldiers in her time there. Taking a moment to count the tankers, Aiko realized there were more students than she had remembered Ami describing, and she suspected that some of the students Ami remembered were gone, so introductions were in order.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Aiko said, considering bringing up the fact that her ride was late, but deciding not to make excuses. "My name is Takahashi Aiko, and I am a Captain and an Instructor in the JGSDF. I will be helping teach tankery at your school."

"Like an army instructor?" Maho called out.

"Not entirely," Aiko said. "I recognize that all of you are civilians, students and teenagers, so I don't have the same expectations that I would for my cadets or subordinates. I do, however, have certain standards for you; for example, you are to call me 'Instructor Takahashi' or 'ma'am,' and not speak out of turn. I am essentially a teacher, and deserve a similar level of respect that you give to your teachers during the school day."

"I'm sorry, ma'am..." Maho said, chastened.

Aiko gave Maho a reassuring nod, and realized that some people would not be good at accepting harsh discipline. But she also believed that while she was at the Atago School, her teacher Masae's harshness had been enough to serve as a wake-up call, even though she was kind enough to give her a second chance.

"How many of you have done tankery before?" Aiko said. Everyone except the Student Council, Anko and the three new members of Leopon Team raised their hands. "That's about what I expected. Some of you may remember your previous teacher, Instructor Chouno. She is a colleague of mine, and I spoke with her about you before I came here. We concluded that since most of you are fairly comfortable with operating your tanks, a practice battle would be good for you. You will be divided into two teams of five, and face each other in an annihilation-style match. The team that remains when all the tanks on the other side have been disabled will be victorious."

One second-year, a girl with shoulder-length light brown hair, raised her hand.

"Do you have a question, miss?" Aiko said, turning to the girl.

"Yes, ma'am," the girl who raised her hand said. "My name is Sawa Azusa, commander of Rabbit Team, which crews the M3 Lee. And my question is- why didn't we do this when your predecessor came here last year, Instructor Takahashi?"

"I asked Instructor Chouno the same thing," Aiko said, "and she said she considered it, but decided against it for a few reasons. First, you had seven tanks- not only an odd number, but a prime number. One side would have been at a significant advantage unless we excluded someone, which is something we only do when there are too many tanks or people to include. Second, very few of you had experience with tankery back then, so it was too much to ask you to work together well when you were not fully ready for your individual tasks. Third, it was also meant as an assessment of individual and team ability. Does that answer your question, Sawa-san?"

"Yes, ma'am," Azusa said. "Thank you very much."

"Good," Aiko said. "Your team will be divided into two sides. Blue Team will consist of Anglerfish Team, Sparrow Team, Duck Team, Anteater Team and Turtle Team, under Nishizumi-san's command. White Team will consist of Octopus Team, Hippo Team, Rabbit Team, Mallard Team and Leopon Team, under Haramura-san's command."

Aiko produced a map from her pocket, which had two points on it, rather than seven. The two points were marked in blue and white, and were somewhat farther apart than the seven individual crews had been last year.

"Your starting points are as follows on the map," Aiko said. "If you or anyone else on your team is having trouble getting there, please radio in and let me know. Dismissed."

The groups of students headed to their tanks. Unlike last year, when many did not know the first thing about driving their tanks, many of the returning students found operating their tanks to be second nature.

Rabbit Team, the largest of the teams, and until recently, the most junior, took their positions. Karina started up the M3 Lee, and almost immediately, the American-made tank began moving. It joined up with the fellow tanks of White Team, which, for the training exercise, had mounted white flags on their tanks that resembled the ones that the flag tanks used.

Anglerfish Team got into their tank and headed for the starting location with the other tanks that had blue flags.

"Nodoka-san will be unlike most of our other opponents until now," Miho said. "For one thing, she has some idea of how we fight, as well as what we can do. By comparison, I haven't faced her yet."

"Then Haramura-dono should know that we should not be trifled with," Yukari said. "Of course, neither should she."

"I discussed this with Nodoka-san, and we will be taking into account the fact that it's a practice match," Miho said. "We won't keep one team away from the main action like we would the flag tank, and we'll try to give each team a chance to fight against the enemy and demonstrate their skill. But apart from that, we'll still be trying to win, not for winning's sake, but to gauge and improve our individual and collective proficiency in tank combat."

Yukari nodded approvingly. To Oarai, winning was not quite the be-all and end-all, even if they had to win the tournament to stay open. This practice match had meaning for both sides regardless of which side triumphed in the end, which is why it was worthwhile, and why Yukari believed Miho had the right perspective.

* * *

Hippo Team, composed of four girls who were such avid fans of history, they cosplayed as their favorite historical figures, entered the StuG. As they did, they contemplated the match, yet another in which they were going up against members of their own team. In spite of the match having precedent for the tankery team, their first thoughts were wars far in the past.

"Former comrades are being forced to bear arms against one another," Caesar said, "just like how Caesar went to war with Pompey."

"Apparently this is only a temporary arrangement," Erwin said, breaking character for a moment. "I spoke with the commander, and I heard we might get paired with her, rather than the vice captain, in another match."

"Ah, that's right," Saemonza said. "I recall hearing that the commander and vice captain would always be on opposite sides, unless they wanted to train someone else in commanding the team."

The others paused to wonder who would be considered. Erwin had briefly been considered as a possible vice-captain, but Miho had decided against it, hoping to find someone who could be trained as a possible successor for her. Erwin, enjoying tankery and having no ambitions for command, was fine with this as long as it benefited the team, and her comrades were of the same mind.

"In the end, we're all on the same side, and this will benefit all of us," Oryou said. "That's all the reason we need to do our best here, for the sake of the team."

* * *

Rabbit Team got into their tank, and each member sat down at their their combat stations. Their roles had been assigned almost at random the previous year, but now, they had achieved a certain comfort level in each position.

"It's time for our first match against others this year, girls," Azusa said. "Let's do our best, and show how much we've improved since last year."

"Aye!" Karina said. "This time, I won't get our track stuck!"

"And we're not running away, either!" Yuuki said.

"We're going to hit whichever tanks we encounter this time," Ayumi said. "Aya-chan, are you with me?"

"I am, Ayumi," Aya said, "but others have probably stepped up their game this time. Octopus Team and Commander Nishizumi are no longer the only ones with experience."

"Indeed, Aya-chan," Azusa said. "But we, too, are experienced now, so perhaps this will be a good opportunity for us to prove ourselves against them."

The others nodded. While misfortune, their own mistakes and other things that had gone wrong had hampered them in the past, the time had come to show their potential with everything going right.

* * *

Nodoka sat in the command seat of the Tas, Octopus Team's tank, and looked around at the other tanks from her side. All of them were proceeding on course, at her speed, and they would soon arrive at their starting point.

Nodoka let off a sigh of relief. While not arrogant by nature, she had, at this point last year, worried whether the newcomers would be able to perform adequately. That worry had been put to rest when her experienced team had been defeated by Miho's team, with newcomers in every role but the command seat, which was reminiscent of the saying about fearing an army of a hundred sheep led by a lion. Having fought alongside everyone who had been on the team last year, and having seen most of the newcomers in practice, Nodoka was confident that they would be able to do well... for the most part.

Nodoka glanced down at Maho, the young girl with purple hair, who was sitting in the driver's seat that she had occupied for most of last year. The previous year, Nodoka had driven under Hisa, who was the vice-captain of the team, the most senior member of Octopus Team, and the one with the most tankery experience besides Miho.

Now, Nodoka served in Hisa's former position. She was a relatively confident individual, more so than Miho in most cases, but she recognized the gravity of her position, and her responsibility to the team. The battles until now had not been easy, and her responsibility toward winning them had increased. For the sake of her school, her teammates and her friend and predecessor Hisa, Nodoka would have to do her best.

Of course, Nodoka realized that the opposite was true, and she would have to concern herself with how Maho did in the position she had just vacated. She would do her best to not judge her too harshly, but she realized that Oarai's battles were more difficult than those of most schools, and every member had to perform well.

In the end, this exercise, and the ones that followed it, would be tests of everyone's capabilities, for both veterans and newcomers. For the sake of the team as a whole, Nodoka resolved to give her best effort.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Thank you for the favorites and follows so far.

This was a somewhat short chapter compared to the first, but there wasn't as much ground to cover, and the practice battle will be saved for the next one.

One way I intend to make this different from other sequel fanfics is that Oarai will not conveniently find or be able to buy new tanks as they need them, nor will members simply come in when it's convenient for them to do so. Since the school isn't currently in imminent danger of closing, they can also expect less support from the rest of the student body.

Not keeping Ami around was meant to say more about Ami's position than a desire to replace her with an OC. In the end, Ami is not truly Oarai's instructor, and neither is Aiko. They hope Oarai will do well, but Oarai is their client, not their employer, and they will soon move on to other clients.

Interestingly enough, while the Maginot battle manga includes some team matches between the battles with St. Gloriana and Maginot, they're 2 against 2, because the student council isn't participating (Incidentally, Momo's stressing how much the team needs improvement, while not _incorrect__,_ per se, does come off as somewhat hollow when you consider her incompetence as a gunner and her lack of participation in practice; she always did seem better at bossing others around than at actually contributing). The fact that Oarai had an odd number of tanks at the beginning (in both canon and the original Necessary to Win) may be one reason why Ami didn't divide them into two teams and have them face each other.

You may notice that the skill levels of each crew relative to each other may have changed. For the most part, the more members that are replaced, the greater the potential for change is, and said change will most likely be negative. Teams that remain the same (Anglerfish, Duck, Rabbit, Hippo) will largely be better off, while teams that are replacing one or two members (Sparrow, Octopus, Mallard, Anteater) could likely be impacted, and it's essentially anyone's guess how the teams that are almost entirely new (Turtle, Leopon) will do.

**Character Analysis: Aiko Takahashi**

Aiko is in some ways Ami's opposite. She's relatively serious and professional, while Ami is laid-back and cheerful. But while their attitudes seemingly stand in opposition to those of their schools, they are also committed to their values. Ami hopes to make the teams she teaches winning ones, while Aiko hopes her students will learn a great deal. Said values are not as foreign from one another as one might think, and the two teachers have a great deal of respect for each other, even if they don't know each other well enough to be friends.

Aiko's task is also in some ways different from Ami's. Ami was given a team full of amateurs, save for a few people with some experience. Having to train them from scratch in a short amount of time, Ami thus chose to ensure that they knew the basics, and that their leaders could show them the rest. Aiko has the task of improving those with some experience, so she feels more comfortable setting the bar somewhat higher.

Aiko's own experience at the Atago School, including her nearly flunking out, has also informed her perspectives. She believes that some students need to be given a wake-up call. However, she also believes that they also deserve second chances. As such, if some of Oarai's newcomers falter and make mistakes, she will point them out and correct them, but she won't give up on them as long as they're willing and able to learn.


	3. Weak Links

**Chapter 3: Weak Links**

As both sides made their way to their starting points marked on the map, Aiko watched from the observation tower. After confirming that all the tanks were on their way to the starting locations, Aiko quickly perused the two sets of materials Ami had given her. One was an official report on the team's performance, typewritten and in a binder, with a formal introductory letter expressing her hopes that "Instructor Takahashi" would find it useful and ask her if she had any questions. The second was a set of notes on her first-hand observations of the team, neatly handwritten and in shorthand, and contained a short note telling "Aiko"- the two women used first names while off duty or in private correspondence- what some of her abbreviations meant.

Looking it over, Aiko realized that the newcomers were performing just as well, if not better, than the majority of Oarai's initial crop of tankers had. Of course, actual combat was another thing entirely, compared to practice matches, and one could be perfectly competent in practice, while falling apart under pressure. Aiko had heard about one member of the team, whom Ami had not described apart from saying she had graduated already- had a decent hit rate on the target range, but had never hit anything she intended to in actual combat.

Of course, Aiko realized that the tournament would be far less forgiving, especially to a team like Oarai, which was generally at a disadvantage in terms of how many tanks they could field and how experienced their tankers were. As such, she hoped that they would perform well in this training exercise, but also that they would make whatever mistakes that would result in valuable lessons for them.

* * *

From her starting point, on the opposite side of the river from Miho, Nodoka found herself asking the question of what Miho would do, but soon realized that the question was not purely theoretical. She had fought alongside Miho in many battles, as well as against her on occasion.

But this time, Miho had a different sort of battle on her hands. Both sides had equal numbers and tanks of comparable quality. Both sides, in similar circumstances and with similar experiences over the course of the last year, would have an almost identical modus operandi. In the end, the group that seized the advantage first and executed their strategy better would prevail.

Of course, this was not necessarily a contest to win, but also a test of the team's abilities. The less battle-hardened members would thus be given chances to demonstrate their skills, with the more experienced members stepping up to face them whenever they fell.

* * *

Blue Team advanced from its starting location, hoping to be able to ambush White Team and seize the advantage by gaining the element of surprise and taking out some of their better tanks.

Inside the Chi-Nu, Anteater Team nervously advanced to set up an ambush point at the bridge. Shiina had heard of the team's lackluster performance in the finals, and hoped to do what she could so that the rest of the team would not end up "carrying" them.

Unfortunately, the Porsche Tiger was already there, and they no longer had the element of surprise.

Short on time, and determined to not be taken out without firing a shot a second time, Anteater Team quickly fired, and struck the Porsche Tiger.

"Good shot for a beginner, Misha-san!" Nekota said, impressed at the explosion and smoke, which seemed to be a fatal blow to Leopon Team's tank.

Unfortunately, the white flag did not raise on the tank, putting the lie to any notions Nekota had that they had succeeded in defeating their foe.

"It didn't penetrate?" Shiina said. She knew enough to be aware that a frontal attack against a tank was not recommended, but had hoped that her shot would be effective, since it would likely be the only one she would get.

Shiina quickly reached for a shell and tried to load it, but knew that she would not be able to do so in time. But since Nekota had not ordered a retreat, she knew that it meant that their only options were to defeat the Porsche Tiger or be eliminated trying.

The Porsche Tiger fired, and its shell whizzed past the Chi-nu before striking a tree and exploding. Knowing that the window of opportunity had been reopened for a short time, Shiina quickly moved to load a round. But as Shiina looked through the sights, she saw smoke rising from the Porsche Tiger, followed by the white flag. The tank had overtaxed its engine while getting into position.

Shiina let off a sigh of relief.

"Well, that was anticlimactic," Shiina said.

Suddenly, the tank shook as the M3 Lee, appearing from the foliage to the side, struck it with both its guns.

"So is this," Shiina said with a slightly amused sigh, as the controls locked, signifying that the tank was disabled. Outside, amidst the smoke and dust, the Chi-nu's white flag raised.

"This is Anteater Team, we got taken by surprise fom the side and taken out!" Nekota said. "Leopon Team apparently overheated and shut down."

Miho simply nodded. Since Anteater Team had little experience in battle, it was understandable that their situational awareness was lacking, especially when already facing an enemy. They would need to work on correcting that flaw, but they, along with the others, would have time to improve.

* * *

Elsewhere, Nodoka, while ordering her tank and the others to flank Blue Team, heard Leopon Team's report over the radio.

"This is Leopon Team," Tsuchiya said. "We were about to take out Anteater Team, but we overheated and are out of the game."

Nodoka sighed. She was not the type to see luck as a factor, wanting to see her triumphs as the result of her own efforts, and believing that she should take responsibility for her failures. She thus saw Leopon Team's engine overheating as a problem that they would have to deal with in the future, albeit regretting that she could not help them. And she believed that this time, she would have to win with the tanks she had in order to prove herself.

Shortly thereafter, she heard from Rabbit Team.

"This is Rabbit Team," Yuuki said. "We got the Chi-nu."

"Good shot, Rabbit Team," Nodoka said. "Advance on Blue Team from the side."

Rabbit Team advanced toward the bridge, but spotted Duck Team, having come as a result of Anteater Team informing them of the White Team advance on the position. Rabbit Team turned to face Duck Team, while the turret of the Type 89 already was trained on the girls.

"Stay calm, girls," Azusa said. "Aya-chan, Ayumi-chan, fire when you have a good shot."

The Type 89's fired a shot that bounced off the M3 Lee's front armor. As it reloaded, Aya and Ayumi took the opportunity to aim and fire into weaker spots on its turret. Both shots found their marks, creating large blasts and scorching the tank. Each hit was enough to disable the tank, so it was no surprise when the white flag popped up.

Across the bridge, however, Sparrow Team, which had been advancing for an attack on Leopon Team, but was unable to make it in time, saw the fire of Rabbit Team's guns at Duck Team.

_"Sorry we couldn't make it, Noriko," _Mutsuki thought, as Anko finally loaded the shell into the gun. _"But when they took you out, they gave us an opportunity, and we'll make the most of it."_

Momo, firing across the river, struck the M3 Lee with a carefully aimed shot, striking the tank in the side as Rabbit Team tried to reposition themselves to attack.

The Char B1 Bis approached from the side, trying to support the others from their team, knowing that White Team's chances were looking grim. They had lost the bridge crossing, and would likely be forced back without reinforcements.

But Blue Team had prepared for this. Turtle Team took them in their sights, fired and struck them in the side, disabling them.

"Nice shot, Shizuru," Ayano said.

"Let's not get overconfident," Shizuru said. "Mallard Team has relatively little combat experience and a new commander. And we're down two of our teams already."

The StuG emerged from the forest to the side.

"It's Hippo Team, approaching from our right!" Ayano said.

Shizuru only had a moment to think through her possible courses of action. That moment, however, was long enough for her to realize that this was a far cry from student government, when she had enough time to talk things over with her fellow student council members to consider her options and arrive at a decision together, a process some called overly ponderous. When she had so little time to make a decision, she was much more likely to make a mistake, but taking too long to think would be a mistake in and of itself. With this in mind, she chose the obvious solution, the one that first came to mind.

"Teradaira-san, take evasive maneuvers!" Shizuru said. "The StuG doesn't have a turret, so we should head toward the side!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Natsumi said. "But which direction?"

Shizuru realized that she had not considered that question, as her tank slowly headed toward the tree line. The StuG shifted, got them in their sights and fired. The shell streaked across the open clearing and struck the Hetzer in the side, causing a large explosion.

The white flag then raised on the Hetzer.

* * *

As Anglerfish Team arrived to support the others, Miho took stock of the situation and realized that the time to step in had come now that most of the amateurs had their chance to show their skills.

"We're now two against two," Miho said. "By now, most of the teams with new players have been taken out of the game."

"That's hardly surprising," Mako said. "Most people don't take to tankery by just reading a book."

While in the past, Mako might have made that remark with some degree of arrogance or impatience with the slower learners on the team, her time teaching others how to drive had changed her perspective. She had seen beginners struggling to learn the ropes and those with at least as much experience as her trying to further improve themselves, so she had become more willing to help them, as long as they were willing to put in the effort on their own.

"That's true, Reizei-dono," Yukari said. "But I was even a bit surprised by how quickly Isuzu-dono and Takebe-dono learned, too."

"The other teams still have room for improvement, though," Miho said. "So let's see how they can do."

Looking ahead, Miho saw that Octopus Team, which was not only the leader of the opposing team, but the other contender for top Oarai team, had entered the fray in hopes of defeating Sparrow Team, which had engaged Hippo Team.

The Cromwell circled around the StuG, making several failed attempts to get into its blind spot. The four history enthusiasts, however, were well aware of their tank's weakness, especially since one of them was an expert on Erwin Rommel and World War II, particularly the tanks of that era.

"We're getting nowhere like this," Mutsuki said. "Hiroko, pass by the StuG. Anko, load an AP round. Momo, get ready to fire once you're at close range."

The three girls responded in the affirmative and carried out their orders as the two combatants approached each other and advanced.

The StuG fired at the Cromwell's front section, but overshot and barely missed. As they passed, Momo fired a shell into the StuG's side, halting it in its path as it was disabled.

Immediately after succeeding in that task, Sparrow Team drew Octopus Team's attention, which struck the tank with a shot to the front. Sparrow Team hastily withdrew, hoping to find a vantage point from which to counterattack. As Yuuki loaded another shell, Nodoka noticed Sparrow Team was having more trouble evading its fire than usual.

Nodoka momentarily considered what she had just seen- clear proof of the difference between Hiroko and Satomi. Hiroko was Nodoka's friend, so she had to admit to being somewhat inclined to favorably judge her. But the logical side of Nodoka suspected that while Hiroko had more experience than Satomi, she was still not up to Satomi's level as a driver. Perhaps Satomi had more natural talent, or perhaps she had merely been challenged more than Hiroko had been in the past, having had a steeper learning curve and more severe consequences for failure.

Nodoka realized that when she thought about it this way, it was almost as though she was justifying the Nishizumi style.

As Saki took the Cromwell in her sights, she fired again on Nodoka's shot made its mark in the target's side, and Sparrow Team's tank threw up its white flag.

_"Muro seems to have some room for improvement," _Nodoka thought as she crossed the bridge and engaged Anglerfish Team. _"Now let's see how Maho fares compared to Reizei-senpai."_

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Panzer IV, Miho realized she was down to her last tank as she pursued Octopus Team through the fields, each side trying to get into an advantageous position in which they could attack the other.

"It looks like it's down to the five of us this time," Miho said. "It's time for us to show Octopus Team what we can do."

"You can count on us, Nishizumi-dono," Yukari said.

"That's right, Miporin," Hana said. "We beat them last time, too."

Miho nodded in agreement. In many ways, this was a different challenge from many of her matches. But in the end, crew skill was important, and Miho wanted to see how her crew compared to Nodoka's.

The Tas and the Panzer IV both fired their cannons, as they ran alongside each other. While Saki and Hana were two of Oarai's best gunners, hitting a moving target while they themselves were moving was difficult for both of them. Crew skill could not easily counteract how motion threw off their aim. As both Yuuki and Yukari loaded their shells, the tanks' respective commanders realized that the next shot would likely decide it, and they hoped to find a good opportunity to make that shot before their opponent did. The tanks circled and weaved, trying to find the best angle from which to attack while not exposing their vulnerabilities to the enemy.

But then, unexpectedly, the Tas, trying to take too sharp of a corner while circling around Anglerfish Team, threw a track. The barrel of the gun stopped, unexpectedly tilting upward, and the shot missed as the tank suddenly halted in its tracks.

As Octopus Team was left bewildered, Hana took aim and fired at a weak spot in the Tas' side, from close range. A moment of vulnerability was all she needed to make an accurate shot at close range into her opponent's side.

The white flag went up.

"Blue Team wins the match!" Aiko said over the loudspeakers.

* * *

As Anglerfish Team heard the news, the built-up tension faded away, and they exulted in celebration.

"That was a close one," Saori said, letting out a sigh of relief. "Even with the others on our side this time, it still came down to just us and Octopus Team, once again."

"It has been a while since we have had such a close and exciting match," Hana said. "Since we had comparable troops and essentially the same plan, it boiled down to a shootout."

"It's different in some ways from my other matches," Miho said. "Nodoka-san's not only a good leader, but she knows how we operate. Perhaps some of our opponents can say the same, so exercises like this might prepare us to face them.."

"But in the end, Nishizumi-dono, you ensured that we pulled through once again," Yukari said. "I'm sure you'll be able to defeat whoever comes our way."

Miho smiled appreciatively.

"What about everyone else?" Saori said. Her question was partly inspired by a desire to see how well those she was helping were improving, and partly from a realization that, a mere year ago, she was like them. She wanted to believe that others would be able to improve themselves, just like she had, and was willing to do what she could to expedite that process.

"The rest of the team did surprisingly well," Miho said, "and the new members are taking to tankery more quickly than we'd expected. But judging from what I've seen, we will likely need to break in the new members further to get up to our level of performance at the end of last year."

"To be honest, though," Mako said, "it's harder to get enthusiastic about things when there isn't anything on the line. It's hardly surprising that none of us are doing quite as well as we did in the finals last year."

"Perhaps that is true, Reizei-dono," Yukari said. "But I think Nishizumi-dono knows better than anyone else that pressure doesn't always yield good results."

"I do," Miho said. "And I believe that there are times when there aren't winners and losers, like in this battle, times in which both sides can benefit from participating. We should do what we can, but also see where we can improve, which is one of those things that matters more than winning."

* * *

In the Tas, Nodoka let off a soft sigh of disappointment. She had fought alongside Miho long enough to know that she would not necessarily win against her, but she felt as though she could do better. She never believed in her own infallibility, but whenever she went up against others in competition, particularly those who were older and more experienced than her, she was reminded of her inadequacies, the areas in which she still needed work. Perhaps someone else was a better choice to secure the bridge. Perhaps if she had given her orders more clearly, she could have held the defensive position and repelled the enemy. Perhaps with a few different decisions, she might have won the final shootout.

But while a large portion of the responsibility for the loss- and the responsibility for improving- lay on her as commander, she noticed that all was not well with the team. Saki, Yuuki and Mako, who had their old positions, were performing well as usual, so the problem did not lie with them. As for the driver, her mistake was not necessarily fatal for the team, but it was preventable. In a team like Oarai's, Nodoka had to do everything she could to remove the possibility of preventable problems, but how far could she go and what was the best approach? She would have to find an answer, soon, with Miho and Aiko's help.

* * *

After the match, Aiko stood alongside Nodoka and Miho and addressed the crews.

"Good work out there in your practice match," Aiko said. "Some of you are new to tankery, and you did fairly well for your first time. All of you have room for improvement, but your performance in this match gives me confidence that you, having made significant progress thus far, will make more in the future. I, along with your commander and vice-captain will meet with you on a crew-by-crew basis to discuss your performance more in depth. Once I'm finished with your team, you are dismissed."

Miho, looking at the sun setting off in the distance, realized it was getting late.

"Before you begin, Instructor," Miho said, "I have a question for the others. Does anyone have any pressing engagements after school?"

The assembled students were silent until Shizuru, after a glance from Shiina, raised her hand.

"The student council has a meeting after school, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said. "So we'd like Turtle and Anteater Team to be able to have their meetings first, if at all possible."

"Very well," Aiko said. "Turtle Team, please come with us. The rest of you, wait here."

"Thank you, ma'am," Shizuru said.

Shizuru, Ayano and Natsumi walked off with Aiko. Among the assembled students, Nekota turned back to her teammates.

"This is quite convenient, Misha-san," Nekota said. "Piyotan-san doesn't have evening classes today, so we should be able to meet up with her online,"

"Well, there's just one problem with that for me," Shiina said. "The president wants me to do student council work with her and the others after this."

"Oh," Nekota said.

"Well, RL does come first," Momogawa said.

"Yeah, I don't think I could explain to her that I'm ditching student council work for a game," Shiina said lightheartedly before her expression turned serious, "nor would I want to."

Nekota realized that student government work, like tankery, was one of the first things Shiina had become truly enthusiastic about apart from video gaming. While she had to obey Shizuru's orders, she also had a genuine desire to help out. With those reasons combined, Nekota had no desire to interfere, and was willing to wait as long as Shiina needed her to.

* * *

Inside the tankery team's tankery room, the debriefing for Turtle Team wrapped up relatively quickly, with them being told that they should improve their basic skills, but that they were less in need of doing so than Aiko had expected.

"All in all, you did quite well for beginners," Aiko said, "certainly better than what Instructor Chouno had led me to expect."

"Thank you, Instructor," Shizuru said. "But if I may ask, what impression did she give of us?"

"Essentially, that the novices knew only the absolute basics at nowhere near a reliable level," Aiko said. "I thought your radio operators wouldn't know the first thing about their devices. I thought your new drivers would only be able to drive reliably on the road and while not under fire. I thought your new gunners would only be able to fire wildly at the enemy, and your new loaders would only allow them one shot at most. And, of course, it would be impossible for your new commanders to keep on top of the other subordinates who didn't know their jobs any better. But some people learned more quickly than others, and the Panzer IV, which triumphed, was crewed by four amateurs with a veteran for a leader. They are the example to which you should aspire, and I believe you've done well approaching that point thus far."

Shizuru smiled and modestly nodded.

"We do what we can, Instructor," she said.

"You are dismissed," Aiko said. "Please send in Anteater Team on your way out."

"Yes, ma'am," Shizuru said. She and the others bowed and took their leave.

A few minutes later, Anteater Team walked in. Aiko's analysis was more critical, indicating that they had largely survived Leopon Team's attack due to luck, and been defeated by Rabbit Team due to a lack of awareness. As much as Shiina found the criticism somewhat reminiscent of her mother, she could not disagree with it, and remained largely silent, save for the occasional "yes, ma'am" to confirm that she was paying attention.

Eventually, however, Aiko reached her conclusion and her expression softened as she did.

"While I have criticized you a great deal thus far, I will point out two things that are more in your favor,," Aiko said. "First, as a relative newcomer, you are at a disadvantage against even the others on your team, much less the enemy, in terms of experience. And second, you have improved noticeably since the finals last year. You have some ways to go, but you have come a long way already, so I will do what I can to help you."

"Thank you for the feedback, Instructor," Nekota said. "I know well how it can be difficult to catch up with your more advanced peers. Misha-san... I mean, Fujino-san, introduced me to Ancient Legacy Online, but I found it too difficult to get up to her level, and quit before my free trial expired."

Aiko nodded.

"I know what you mean," Aiko said. "But most undertakings of any significance require a great deal of time, effort and the willingness to improve oneself. You'll need to stick with things like tankery if you want to win, investing a great deal of time and effort, but you won't regret doing so. For now, however, if you have nothing else to add, you're dismissed."

"Thank you, ma'am," the three girls said, bowing. Shiina briefly considered saluting, but for the fact that Aiko had told them all that military courtesy was not necessary.

The three girls walked outside, and prepared to go their separate ways.

"I'll see you two later," Shiina said.

"Sure," Nekota said. "We were actually going to have a tankery study session, so feel free to join us when you're ready."

As Shiina walked off to the student council meeting and Nekota and Momogawa walked home, Aiko turned back to Nodoka and Miho.

"Who's next?" Aiko said.

"I'll go to get my team," Miho said.

"And after that, Haramura-san's team?" Aiko said.

Nodoka shook her head.

"My team... will likely be a bit more difficult," Nodoka said. "Let's finish with everyone else first; I don't want to detain them when you have less to say to them."

"Very well," Aiko said. "I would like to speak with Sparrow Team after Anglerfish."

Miho left the room, and returned a few minutes later, with her team in tow.

"We're here," Miho said.

"Thank you," Aiko said."To be honest, Nishizumi-san, as an individual tank crew, you are doing quite well, which is something I do not often say about those teams without also providing criticism. You and your teammates were possibly the best out of all the teams, although there is always room for improvement. As such, you should keep practicing, but also put aside some of your time to give assistance to those who need it."

"Thank you, ma'am," Hana said.

"I'm glad to hear that, Instructor," Saori said. "It's hard to believe we were newcomers not long ago."

"Everyone was, at some point," Aiko said. "Before I was an instructor, I was a cadet. Before I led my teams, I was a student of tankery. As long as you remember where you came from and appreciate the processes that brought you to where you are now, you can teach others."

Miho nodded. She had struggled for many years to find her own way of tankery, and was glad, more than anything else, that she could play her part in helping others become good at tankery. Some would find the process more difficult than others, as tankery had not come as easily to the rest of the team as it had come to her closest friends, but Miho hoped to do what she could to help them with whatever troubles they faced.

* * *

Miho, together with Aiko, met with the rest of the teams and discussed where they needed to improve. Most of those with new members had to break the members in, and those who had switched positions needed to adjust to their new tasks. Aiko took that into consideration, but still chose to tell them where they needed work. Most of the new members had a basic grasp of their position as a result of the practice thus far, and simply needed to drive more effectively, load more quickly, hit their targets in less time and with fewer shots, and command more efficiently, while doing all of them in the heat of battle.

Miho was pleased with the team, even if she noticed Nodoka was uncharacteristically concerned, and oddly insistent on dealing with her team last.

The other six teams were brought in, receiving criticism and praise in various measures. The last of those six was Leopon Team, the first to fall. This time, Aiko's analysis was fairly short and to-the-point.

"At this point, it's somewhat hard to tell how your team measures up compared to the others, considering what happened to your tank," Aiko said. "In spite of that, I will say that in a team like this, all tanks and their respective crews must perform exceptionally well. As such, I'm sorry to say that your performance today is not acceptable."

Tsuchiya sighed. The only tournament round she had fought in was in the finals the previous year, and she found tankery combat to be quite exciting. Unfortunately, when she had to struggle and deal with issues like this, she found it quite disappointing, and her enthusiasm was deflated like a balloon pierced by a needle.

"Do you understand what I am telling you, Tsuchiya-san?" Aiko said, noticing that Tsuchiya and the others had gone quiet.

Tsuchiya solemnly nodded. Her usually exuberant demeanor hardly seemed appropriate when she was being criticized., and was difficult to maintain in light of her present troubles

"Yes, ma'am," Tsuchiya said. "I apologize for our failures."

Tsuchiya bowed in apology, and her subordinates followed in kind, but Miho shook her head.

"I wouldn't call it a failure, Tsuchiya-san," Miho said, with Aiko nodding in agreement. "All the teams with many newcomers have their own challenges to overcome, but as long as you work on them and the instructor and I help you, I believe you will be able to overcome them."

Tsuchiya gave a faint appreciative smile, but the others sighed. To them, tankery was an obligation to their club, a side job that threatened to become all they were useful for. They believed the idea that they were not meeting expectations of the one thing that seemed to matter to the commander of the team and student council was disheartening and potentially worrying.

"I'll do my best, Commander," Tsuchiya said. "Ladies, let's get to maintenance on the tanks.

The other three Auto Club members silently complied and left.

"Unless I'm mistaken, only Octopus Team is left, Nodoka-san," Miho said, after Tsuchiya closed the door behind her. "Can you get everyone together?"

"Actually, Miho-senpai," Nodoka began somewhat hesitantly, "I was hoping to privately speak with you and Instructor Takahashi before I met with my team."

"Go ahead," Aiko said. She had some idea of the issue- or rather, the person- Nodoka wished to discuss, but was not entirely sure what she wanted to say.

"It's about my driver, Yumeno Maho-chan," Nodoka said. "I think I know a little about her, and why her performance is not exactly up to par with the others."

"Are you saying it's not simply a result of her being inexperienced?" Aiko said. She had expected that some of the newcomers would have trouble, but had not expected that someone with experience would have problems.

"I believe so, ma'am," Nodoka said. "Now, this may sound like I am comparing it unfavorably to my own experience with driving, or with skilled drivers I know, like Reizei-senpai, Kuro, and others. But the unfortunate truth is that Maho-chan has been doing tankery for longer than anyone else here, except for Miho-senpai and I, and gets far less mileage out of her practice, so to speak. She's promising, but she has bad habits."

"What do you mean?" Miho said.

"She does essentially seem to forget the fundamentals from time to time, and tries to emulate some of the skilled tankers she sees, even if it can't practically work," Nodoka said.

Miho nodded, reminded of one of Anteater Team's practices the previous year. They had gone on a wild ride throughout the training grounds, the tank going in directions Miho did not think possible, and had emerged from the tank, dazed and saying "In a game, it would work..." over and over. Through training, they had improved, and while they were not quite up to par with their teammates, they were no longer merely a moving target for the enemy.

Maho also had to improve, but how could she improve, and how could Miho help? A part of Miho believed it would be best to defer to Nodoka, who likely knew her friend far better than Miho did. Another part of Miho realized that Nodoka did not only want her commander to be involved in helping Maho for the sake of the team leadership working together, but also because she believed that Miho could help her solve the problem in ways that she could not by herself.

"So what do you want us to do about this?" Miho said.

"The obvious solution is to talk with Maho-chan and break her of her bad habits," Nodoka said. "But the problem is _how_ to do it. You may not have seen it much, but when I scold people for some things, I tend to be somewhat blunt. The best example was when I told Saki that I would not want her around if she was not willing to give her all to win, back when we first met while touring Oarai Academy. In the past, Maho-chan has taken it somewhat hard when I scold her. I don't want that to happen, since if she takes it personally, she'll never learn from it."

"I see," Miho said. "But is this bad habit just as a driver, or also in other positions?"

Nodoka paused, taking a moment to process what Miho was implying.

"Now that's a possible thought, Miho-senpai," Nodoka said. "I had considered it before, but it wasn't feasible in the past. My old school was stretched thin, and people ended up doing multiple roles at times, such as the commander also being the radio operator, or some gunning and loading at the same time."

"That's like what some of us do already," Miho said. "So why did you decide what you did?"

"To be blunt, if Maho-chan had difficulty performing a single role, how would she fare while multitasking?" Nodoka said. "I let her be the driver so that she would solely focus on that role, to prevent her from becoming distracted. But now, Maho might well be better off switching roles."

Aiko nodded. She was of the belief that giving a fish feeds one for a day, and teaching how to fish feeds one for a lifetime, so she generally advised the tankery clubs she taught, while letting them make their own decisions. Having helped Nodoka and Miho brainstorm a solution as much as she felt appropriate, now she had to consider how to help them implement it.

"It sounds as though you two have found a solution," Aiko said. "When you discuss this with Yumeno-san and the others, I can serve as a mediator if you would like."

"Yes, please do, Instructor" Nodoka said. "I'll go to get my team."

* * *

Nodoka walked into the room with her four teammates, none of whom were aware of the discussion that had been taking place until now.

"So, how'd we do?" Mako said.

Aiko and Miho looked at each other and nodded, silently deferring to Nodoka.

"For the most part, there are no problems with your respective roles," Nodoka said. While she appreciated Miho and Aiko's advice, she still believed that it would be best if she began the discussion. She then turned to Maho. "However, Maho-chan, I would like to discuss your performance as driver."

"Is this about Maho's... my mistake?" Maho said. Understanding the gravity of the situation, she shifted from referring to herself in the third person to the first person.

"Unfortunately, yes," Nodoka said. "While your driving the tank into a ditch was not the only factor leading to our team's defeat, it seems to be indicative of a larger problem, and Miho-senpai, the instructor and I would like to do what we can to remedy it. Ordinarily, I would speak with you alone about this, but this decision involves all of Octopus Team, so I spoke with Miho-senpai and Instructor Takahashi."

"The three of us have been talking," Miho said, doing what she could to frame what she was saying in a positive light. "We decided that you might be better off in a position other than the driver, and would like to help your team decide how best to utilize you. The first step would be to find someone whose position would be better suited to you, and who would be able to drive in your stead."

Miho paused and considered how things were going. She had decided to emphasize the collaborative nature of the decision, and put focus on the positives. But, as she said, Maho and the others would have to work on the solution together, so part of that would involve getting the input of Maho's crerwmates.

"Kataoka-san?" Miho said. "Do you think Yumeno-san would be a good loader?"

Yuuki sighed and shrugged.

"Not really, djey..." Yuuki said. "I tried showing her the ropes at middle school, but it didn't work out so well."

As a former schoolmate of Maho's, Yuuki knew that Maho's tendency to make mistakes under pressure would not be suited to the position of loader. While Yuuki had a tendency to be swift in the short term but peter out over the long term, she wondered if Maho could do it at all. Having also watched Saki and her middle school gunner at length, Yuuki also realized that if Maho took the gun, she would likely be the second coming of Kawashima Momo, whose inability to hit virtually anything in the heat of battle led to her being replaced as gunner in a similar manner.

So what could Maho do? What would be the best outlet for her enthusiasm?

"You know, I think she might be good at the radio," Mako said. "It's an important job, but you don't feel as though you're under pressure to do well in it. It'll take some studying, but I'm sure that's not a problem for you, right, Maho?"

"Not at all!" Maho said. "I'm glad to do anything for the team."

"Yeah, Hiroko-chan says Maho-chan often studies hard and helped our old team out with chores," Yuuki said. "She's the type who doesn't mind putting in extra hours for the team."

"Then that's settled," Miho said. "Someya-san, would it be possible for you to train as a driver?"

"I'm on it, Commander," Mako said. "I'm not as much of a quick study as _the other_ Mako is, but I'm almost as much of a tank nerd as Yukari is, so I know a bit already."

"Thank you for letting me help, Nodoka-senpai, Commander Nishizumi, Instructor Takahashi," Maho said.

"I think that's all for today," Aiko said to Nodoka and Miho. "Octopus Team, I'll leave you to the task of adjusting. Please let me know if you have any questions for next time. All of you are dismissed."

"Thank you, ma'am," Miho said before walking off to rejoin her friends for a dinner at her place.

* * *

After saying goodbye to their teammates, Saki and Nodoka started to go home together.

"So, Nodoka-chan, how are you finding being vice-captain?" Saki said.

"It's more difficult than I thought," Nodoka said. "I have led before, but not as part of another's chain of command, and Oarai is quite a bit different from my old school."

Saki nodded in agreement.

"My sister was vice-captain for Miho-senpai's sister," Saki said, "and she ended up largely assisting the commander with various matters outside of battle, and sometimes commanding divisions of troops in battle. We all find our niches, and adapt our styles of tankery to those of our teams."

Saki left unspoken the fact that her sister was no longer vice-captain, and not merely because she had graduated. Teru had her own personal demons, and realized that for too long, she had been running away from them and giving the cold shoulder to her sister, resulting in her losing sight of why she had done tankery to begin with. As she grappled with the questions, she decided to take a hiatus from tankery in her first year of university, even if she was attending the same university as her commander and a few of her other classmates from Black Forest.

"But, as you may remember, Saki, Miho-senpai herself was vice-captain of Black Forest as well," Nodoka said. "Naturally, her style of leadership wasn't necessarily suited to her old school. Since I'm more blunt, and prone to ordering people, I wonder whether mine will be suited to this one, which had a relatively informal and laid-back team. Even my middle school was a bit stricter than this."

"I think you did the right thing today, Nodoka-chan," Saki said. "You were considering a way of how you could enable Maho-chan to help us, much like how Miho-senpai had to think of how to best utilize Kawashima-senpai last year. If you need help with any of that, feel free to work together with Miho-senpai, and I'm always there for you."

Nodoka smiled. She realized that she was not the only one taking a step outside her comfort zone. In her own team, Maho was learning a new position, and Mako was filling in for her. They were doing their best to be of use to the team, much like Saki and Yuuki were doing their best at their old positions, and Nodoka realized that she should do so as well.

"Thank you, Saki," she said. "I'll do what I can for all our sakes."

* * *

Sparrow Team walked back after meeting with Miho, Nodoka and Aiko. Their assessment had largely been positive, but it revealed that the team could use some improvement in their driving, loading and overall coordination.

Mutsuki sighed, realizing that most of the responsibility was on her, as leader. In most games of mahjong, the club played against, rather than alongside each other, and if they were to enter a team tournament, each member would be making an individual effort against the other three opponents. Satomi had been president of the club, but played relatively little role as far as playing mahjong and doing tankery went, resulting in Yumi taking charge of training people and managing the club. After the club was dissolved, Yumi's role changed, serving as commander and the primary one keeping the club together as they tried to re-establish themselves.

But each of their responsibilities seemed to be beyond Mutsuki at this point. She still felt as though she lacked the skill to manage a mahjong club or tankery crew, or the confidence and charisma necessary to serve as a leader who could hold the group together. So Mutsuki had to wonder. How was she doing in comparison to Yumi? And how was it possible to perform effectively under these circumstances? One person knew the answer, and even if Mutsuki suspected that it would not be the one she hoped for, she felt compelled to ask.

"Momo?" Mutsuki said. "I'd like your honest opinion about something."

"Go ahead, President~su," Momo said. As someone who was almost literally invisible for much of her life, she was touched that Mutsuki was specifically asking her a question.

"How do you think I'm doing?" Mutsuki said. "I'm finding it hard to live up to Kajiki-senpai as a commander. The Instructor did point out areas in which I needed improvement, but while I'm clearly not where I want to be yet, I don't yet know whether it's as good as could be expected of me."

Momo paused, carefully considering her response. An overly positive answer would be seen as mere flattery and not help, while an overly negative answer would make Mutsuki depressed, and adversely affect her performance. So Momo decided to tell the simple truth, from her many conversations with Yumi before and after her graduation.

"To be honest, you're slightly better than Yumi was at the very beginning, but not quite as good as she was in the later matches~su," Momo said. "But that's not the main point," she added, after motioning to stop Mutsuki from interjecting.

"Then what is?" Mutsuki said.

"Yumi, along with everyone else, had to deal with a steep learning curve~su," Momo said. "Just as she learned mahjong more quickly than most of us, she adjusted better than the rest of the non-veterans. But in the end, she, and everyone else, were doing what they could, and so are you."

"Thanks, Momo," Mutsuki said. "I still think that I'm a less than good person to deal with being a tank commander or a club president. I'm not necessarily the most confident individual, so if I don't believe in myself, how can I convince everyone else to believe in me?"

"Yumi has things she worries about all the time," Momo said. "But she found Kanbara-senpai to be a good source of advice as well, particularly when it came to being optimistic. Perhaps Kaori-senpai might have some idea of what her childhood friend would say."

"I'm not so sure of that, Momoko-san," Kaori said, speaking up for the first time in the conversation. "Satomi-chan always had a degree of confidence and optimism that I lacked. I know her well, but don't quite share her outlook on life"

"Still, I think Touyoko-senpai has a point," Hiroko said. "You can learn a great deal from those under you, even if you're a leader."

"Some of us are new to our positions, if not tankery itself," Anko said. "So we have some idea of what you're going through. We don't expect you to have all the answers, but merely ask that you be there for us as we walk this unfamiliar road together, leading us to the best of your ability."

"That's true, Tanaka-senpai," Hiroko said. "Maho isn't the best, and she knows it, but she tries harder than anyone else, and whenever someone criticizes her, she takes it into account and refocuses her efforts. In the end, you shouldn't aim for perfection, but your best."

Mutsuki nodded. She realized that Miho had more experience than she did, but leading others had not always come easily to her. Perhaps Mutsuki could not become a perfect leader, but she had no intenton of letting her subordinates down if they only expected this much. She was not the only one having difficulty, but she was determined to not let that defeat her.

"Thank you, everyone," Mutsuki said. "I'll do what I can."

* * *

After school, Hiroko parted ways with Sparrow Team and joined Maho on the walk home.

"Oarai's doing a lot better than our previous school," Maho said. "So many newcomers are doing well while Nodoka-senpai seems to have taken her tankery to another level,"

"Being forced to fight to keep one's school open will do that," Hiroko said. "But I think Yuuki-senpai also once mentioned a drive to prove themselves, and ensure that people knew that they won because they were strong, rather than because their opponents were weak, careless or unlucky. It thus makes sense that they'd be constantly looking for where they could improve."

"So that explains why Nodoka-senpai and the others were analyzing where we were weak," Maho said.

"That's only part of it," Hiroko said. "Nodoka-senpai has always had high standards for herself and for others, and relatively little patience for those who are just playing around. It's part of the reason why she's improved as much as she has, but she also believes that taking something seriously is necessary to enjoy it to the fullest."

Maho nodded.

"Maho's now the radio operator of Octopus team, while Someya-senpai is the driver," Maho said. "I'll have to work hard to learn my new position, just like Someya-senpai is."

"You two aren't the only ones," Hiroko said. "President Tsuyama, Tanaka-senpai and I are also new to our roles, so the team does have a fair amount of work to do. But in the end, where there's a will, there's a way. No one tries harder than you do, Maho, so if we keep at it, we'll improve as much as we need to."

What the two left unspoken, however, was that their opponents were also striving to improve, believing that they had it in them to win. Getting the newcomers up to speed was not only a matter of ensuring that they could perform as well as their peers, but so that the team as a whole would be able to stand against the rising tide of their competition and defend the championship against their reinvigorated adversaries.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I'd like to thank Stalker117 and KMT4ever for beta reading this.

My intention here was to break in the newcomers without retreading old ground, so I decided to make the practice match different from canon and the previous Necessary to Win. It's more of an advanced training exercise, in which most people at least know what they're doing.

On a somewhat belated note, the Necessary to Win series- the original, Paths Toward Victory, the side stories and this fic- is now over half a million words long, making it by far my longest writing project.

Edited to fix a few minor mistakes and add a little dialogue for Maho in the final scene.

**Character Analysis: Maho Yumeno**

Canonically, not much of Maho is seen, apart from the suggestion that she could become a formidable player once she gains more experience and works on her _many_ flaws(not to mention that because she's still in middle school, she likely will not be able to compete in the main plot of Saki). To put a long story short, Maho has the ability to pull off some of the improbable plays the players at her table make, but also has a bad habit of making various amateur mistakes that someone with her level of experience has no business making (drawing a tile as dealer, which is a bit like drawing six cards in poker).

In canon, Nodoka gets annoyed with Maho's carelessness, and shows her blunter and stricter side. Nodoka has little patience with those who believe in the occult, or those who aren't at least somewhat committed to winning, and since Maho relies on her ability while failing to iron out some of the flaws in her playstyle, Nodoka thus easily gets frustrated with her when she makes mistakes. Since Maho wants to impress Nodoka, she takes this quite hard, and is almost reduced to tears. Nodoka realizes that Maho is trying hard, and then gives some encouragement, suggesting that Maho will realize her potential in the future, likely after the series ends. In this fic, which takes place after the end of GuP and after what will likely be the end of Saki, you can see Maho doing just that, and becoming useful to her team.

**Character Analysis: Mutsuki Tsuyama**

In canon, Mutsuki doesn't stand out much compared to the others on the Tsuruga Academy mahjong team. She loses a fair amount of points in the first round and falls to last place, albeit while not doing much worse than Mihoko's other defeated opponents. In the individuals tournament, she, along with Kaori, doesn't make it past the first day, while Momo and Yumi had a reasonable chance at winning (I, for one, would have hoped that Tsuruga would have been able to make it to the nationals in at least the individuals, thereby fulfilling Momo's hope of staying with Yumi for as long as she can).

So one might imagine that because of this, combined with her somewhat unconfident personality, she's more than a little nervous to become leader of her group of girls. In this fic, she's inheriting the responsibility of commanding a tank, and leading the defunct mahjong club in its efforts toward being revived. But the circumstances require the juniors and former novices to step up and take charge, so Mutsuki is not alone in this.

**Character Analysis: Momoko Touyoko**

In canon, Momo is to Yumi what Yukari is to Miho; she admires her idol's performance in her game of choice, and sees her as the first friend she's had. Momo suffers from a lack of presence that makes her essentially invisible at times, and Yumi was the first person to reach out to her (in the manga, Miho also invited Yukari). Yumi was the de facto leader of Momo's mahjong club in canon and in this fic, so how will Momo deal with it now that she's gone?

Momo does find herself comparing Mutsuki to Yumi at times, especially since she misses her old friend and senpai. But she does realize that Mutsuki has essentially the same task that Yumi did, a difficult and unenviable one, and she herself was once a novice. As such, she tries to give her new leader the benefit of the doubt, and also do her best in her own position.

Many of Oarai's team have to deal with longer-term issues, and for Momo, her issue is keeping in touch with Yumi. She has always had to live with the knowledge that she would be separated from Yumi once Yumi graduated, but now, she has the opportunity to prevent them from drifting apart by keeping in touch with her. Time will tell whether this will last, but for now, Momo has a solution, and thus has hope.


	4. Interlude 10: Oarai's Past

**Interlude 10: Oarai's Past**

After school, Miho checked her e-mail. Among the various others, from e-mails about team business, to messages from friends, to those that were nothing more than spam, she saw one from Hisa.

Miho was always glad to hear from her friend, senpai and former second-in-command, having kept in touch with her after her graduation at the end of the previous year. In this case, however, the message was one that she was eagerly anticipating, as it revealed that Hisa had found some information that Miho had sought for some time.

**To** Nishizumi, Miho

**CC: **Haramura, Nodoka

**Subject**: The Decline And Fall of Oarai's Tankery Team

**From: **Takei, Hisa

_Miho,_

_I remember you asking about what happened to Oarai's old tankery team at the convention. As luck would have it, one of my teachers, Professor Saotome Junko, was Oarai's last tankery commander. I was able to meet with her recently, and would like to share with you and Nodoka what we discussed._

Miho read on as the e-mail summarized Hisa's conversation with the professor, starting with when the professor had first approached her.

* * *

_A few days ago_

As class let out, Hisa gathered her things and began to leave. But as she slung her book bag over her shoulder, she noticed that her professor, a middle-aged woman with shoulder-length dark hair and a dark business suit, was waiting for her. The woman had a neat, professional and conservative appearance, so Hisa did not initially notice her approaching in the crowded lecture hall.

Hisa was slightly surprised to see the professor take the initiative to talk with her outside of class. The professor's demeanor matched her appearance, as she was polite to the students, if distant. She showed courtesy while giving subtle reminders that she was still in charge- and making them more overt if need be.

"Takei Hisa-san?" Junko said. "It's nice to meet a fellow Oarai alumna around here."

"It certainly is, too, Professor Saotome," Hisa said. "And I'm also glad that, thanks to the efforts of everyone in our tankery team, my class won't be the last to graduate from Oarai."

"Indeed," Junko said. "The hardest work is ahead of you, though, primarily ensuring that your team and your school remains around and does well in the long term. Of course, even what you've done so far is certainly worlds beyond what I managed."

"Professor, do you mean that you also were a member of Oarai's tankery team?" Hisa said.

"I was, Takei-san," Junko said. "To be more precise, I was the last tankery commander of Oarai, before Nishizumi Miho-san."

Hisa nodded. Hisa had been commander for a period of a few days, before ceding the position to Miho, but she saw no need to correct Junko on that minor detail, not when there was a more pressing matter to discuss.

"That reminds me of a question I have, Professor," Hisa said. "What happened to Oarai's tankery team in the past? That sort of information might be useful in order to prevent history from repeating itself, so to speak."

Junko nodded.

"It's not entirely a simple answer," Junko said. "I can meet with you later to discuss this; would Sunday at 3:00 work?"

"It would," Hisa said.

"That's good," Junko said. "Do you know where my office is?"

"I do," Hisa said. "I'll see you there, Professor."

* * *

_Earlier this day_

Hisa arrived in the office building for the faculty, and proceeded to Junko's office. She wore a white blouse, a light pink cardigan and a long blue skirt, hoping to look somewhat nice without seeming as though she was trying too hard.

Hisa knocked on the door to Junko's office.

"Come in," Junko said, and Hisa stepped into the office, taking a look around as she did. It was neat and professional, with few personal touches, save for a family photo of Junko and her husband, who were married but did not have any children. The shelves contained many books on business, some of which Junko had written herself, as well as other information Junko needed for her job.

As Hisa's gaze turned to Junko, who wore a navy blue pantsuit with white dress shirt and a red necktie, she wondered if Junko had purposely cleaned up in anticipation of her arrival, whether her office was always this way, or even whether she was simply neat and professional by nature.

"Thank you for seeing me, Professor Saotome," Hisa said.

"You're welcome, Takei-san," Junko said. "Please have a seat." Hisa sat down in a chair in front of Junko's desk. "I considered inviting Nishizumi-san, but I didn't want her to have to come all the way here. She's undoubtedly busy at the moment as Oarai's new commander."

"I'm sure she is," Hisa said. "I've commanded before, and know that even a team this small is a handful to lead."

"In any case, please feel free to share anything you learn here with her or the others on your team," Junko said. "I'm not proud of my tenure as commander, but I don't consider it shameful enough to keep secret."

"Yes, ma'am," Hisa said. "So, where shall we begin?"

"To begin with, by the time I became commander, Oarai was already past its prime, having gradually declined over the course of the previous decade," Junko said. "Thirty years ago, it was about on par with where St. Gloriana and Saunders are now; a somewhat strong school that had not won any tournaments. But as a result of attrition and declining popularity, it supposedly lost the ability to field a full team within five years, and after a defeat in the semifinals one year due to not having enough tanks to fight evenly with its opponent, it started falling even more rapidly."

"That's a shame; it sounds as though Oarai was once fairly strong," Hisa said. "Nodoka's old friends and other talented individuals are in the Saunders tankery team, and Mihoko did quite well as commander of St. Gloriana last year."

"Mihoko...?" Junko said.

"Fukuji Mihoko," Hisa said. "She's a friend of mine, who's studying to become a teacher, and we don't have many classes together." Hisa winked a sly smile. "So you don't have to worry about being too formal with her when you're with me."

"I see," Junko said. "Well, if I do meet Fukuji-san, then I would address her as formally as I do you, and also expect the same respect that you show me."

Hisa paused to consider what Junko was saying. In all her time at Oarai, both as treasurer and as a ranking officer on the tankery team, she had never felt the need to assert her authority. She wondered if Junko had ever had to do that.

"That's a reasonable expectation, Professor," Hisa said. "That said, your attitude toward professionalism is not one that everyone at Oarai has. My friend and former superior, Kadotani Anzu, is fairly laid back and casual, but quite dependable when things seem desperate."

"I see what you mean," Junko said. "To be honest, it wasn't that different in my time."

* * *

_25 years ago_

Junko entered the tank commander's office to meet with her, hoping that she had not gotten in trouble. She felt as though she had not done much to distinguish herself, so she saw few possible good reasons for her to catch the commander's eye.

"You wanted to see me, Commander?" she said.

"Yes, please have a seat, Saotome-san," the previous commander said. "I'll get right to the point. I'm graduating at the end of the year, and believe that you will be best suited to replace me."

"Me?" Junko said. "I only started doing tankery in high school."

"You're the only one remaining who has command experience, Saotome-san," the previous commander said. "It commonly happens that when a new year begins, the experienced players must take up leadership from the veterans, the former novices become experienced, and many newcomers arrive. I'm essentially asking you, the only candidate with related experience, to take the next step up, like so many others are. Can I count on you to do this?"

"Yes, ma'am," Junko said.

The commander smiled, partly out of approval, and partly in amusement.

"You don't need to be so formal with me, Saotome-san," the outgoing commander said. "I'm only a year older than you, and got started in tankery around the same time that you did. I did what I could as commander, which was good enough against Bosporu, but not enough against St. Gloriana. All I'm asking is that you do the same. Can I count on you for that much?"

Junko nodded. The task of commander seemed to be the most difficult, but broken down thus far and described in those terms,

"You can, senpai," Junko said. "I won't let you down."

Junko's statement was one spoken without knowledge of what she was getting into or what would happen to her in the future, but it was one that she believed in wholeheartedly.

* * *

_Earlier that day_

"I took my predecessor's advice to heart," Junko said, "although I do wonder whether leading relatively humbly and striving to do my best in spite of my inexperience and limitations was a mistake."

"It's hard for me to say, Professor," Hisa said, "but I do think she had a point about the changing of the guard, so to speak. Some of our better novices were third-years. Furthermore,I think that she was appropriately humble about what she could and couldn't do."

"Being a leader was something of a balancing act for me," Junko said. "How do you demand respect without coming off as arrogant? The relationship between leader and subordinate is by its very nature unequal, but how unequal should it be?"

Hisa paused, slightly taken off guard by Junko's question. It was one that Hisa knew did not have a definitive answer, so Hisa decided to share one person's answer.

"Miho didn't really worry all that much about it," Hisa said. "Essentially, most people called her what they would if she was just another classmate."

"So you called your commander by her first name?" Junko said. "And Nishizumi-san was fine with this?"

"Yes, ma'am," Hisa said. "Miho wasn't originally the team commander. I ceded the position to her while remaining as vice-captain. But she wasn't the type to insist on formality, and relatively few used her title, even if they acknowledged her as our leader. Most of all, she considered herself one of us."

Junko nodded, wondering why she had ever made such an assumption about Miho. Perhaps she was still thinking of her in comparison to her mother. Or perhaps Junko's own ideas about leadership and authority were influencing her thoughts. In any case, Miho had made it work, and Junko had to respct that.

"I suppose what matters most is how you do as a leader," Junko said. "There's a difference between relaxed yet effective leaders and ones who don't command respect. On the other side of a spectrum, there's a difference between a harsh but fair leader and one who is either using a heavy hand to cover up her inadequacies, or worse, a bully."

"That's true," Hisa said. "In spite of that, I don't think anyone sets out to be the latter in either pair."

"No, they don't, Takei-san," Junko said. "But for whatever reasons, the results we intend to happen are not always the results that do actually happen. In spite of my best efforts, I was unable to be the leader Oarai needed, or do what I set out to do. The first time I realized that this problem would likely be beyond my ability to solve was when I got to work on some of the issues the team was facing."

* * *

_24 years ago_

Junko sat in the tank commander's office, weighing many issues that had come to light in recent practice.

The maintenance team reported recurring problems with the Porsche Tiger overheating. They, a few students from the fledgling Auto Club who had been drafted to repair the tanks in exchange for approving their club, did not know much about repairing tanks, and while they could keep the tank in working order, they didn't know enough about how to mitigate the problem. Junko barely knew how to operate her own tank, let alone help some other team with theirs.

The Type 89's crew had submitted a report half complaining about their vehicle's performance and half pleading with her to not drop them from the team. Junko saw both parts as beside the point; she needed all hands and all tanks on the field for tankery battles, meaning that someone would have to crew the Type 89. She believed their performance needed improvement, but knew she had no one to replace them.

The Chi-Nu and the Char B1 Bis' crews both claimed to be shorthanded. From what little Junko knew about tankery, she realized that this was true. But the reality of the situation was that everyone on the team had been committed, and any newcomers would have to be trained in their position. All of the existing tanks were barely manned, so shifting a person from one to another was not an option.

Junko leaned back in her chair and sighed. She had always imagined that being commander would make her the most powerful person on the team, but she had no idea how far her resources fell short of her needs. Perhaps this was why her predecessor seemed so humble. Perhaps this was why people had not chosen to compete with her for the position. Perhaps she would have a difficult time finding someone to take on this burden once she was no longer able to do so.

* * *

_Earlier that day_

"Essentially, as commander, I soon realized the limits of my abilities, and it did, at times, feel like I was cleaning the entire ship with a toothbrush," Junko said. "Unfortunately, that led me to shift the onus of dealing with those problems to my subordinates with more experience."

"Perhaps that's not always a bad thing, Professor," Hisa said, "particularly if you have subordinates who might be more suited to that than you are."

"I suppose you're speaking from experience, Takei-san," Junko said, "although I do find it a bit surprising that you would say that after commanding a team full of amateurs."

"Oarai has an odd assortment of talents," Hisa said. "We range from jocks to geeks, from the technically savvy to the more artistically inclined, and from a handful of veterans to a majority of newbies. Some of our team members came from clubs that shut down, while others are from more loosely organized groups of friends."

"Interesting," Junko said. "It seems as though your crews have a certain degree of solidarity that mine lacked."

"Yes, ma'am," Hisa said. "At the end of the year, we put on a celebration, and invited everyone to show off one talent apart from tankery or their group's talent, which is a celebration of our efforts as an entire team, and a good exercise in teamwork for each crew. When Leopon Team put on a magic show and seemingly transformed the Type 89 into a Porsche Tiger, Duck Team got pretty mad over the auto club doing something like that to the tank they loved so much... until it fell over and revealed itself as a cardboard cutout."

Junko chuckled softly.

"I must admit, I'm quite impressed," Junko said. "That this 'Leopon Team' crafted a lifelike replica of the Type 89, and that Duck Team actually grew attached to that tank."

"So was I, Professor," Hisa said. "But that does essentially show what this team is all about. Just as Duck Team is proud of their Type 89, everyone's proud to be part of this humble team, and willing to fight against long odds. They come from a broad variety of backgrounds, but combine their skills for the sake of the team's common goal."

Junko nodded.

"That's good to hear, Takei-san," Junko said. "As long as morale remains high and they keep their spirits up, you should be able to succeed where my team failed."

"In any case, you seem to be a far cry from the way you were back then, Professor," Hisa said. "You seemed relatively laid-back, rather than strict. I was actually a bit surprised to hear that you were willing to talk to me, although I probably wouldn't have been if we were classmates."

"It's partly due to the reality of my position, Takei-san," Junko said. "The fact of the matter is that by the time you were born, I graduated from this institution, and while you were still young, I gained experience. Teaching you is my job and as such, it is in both our interests if you respect and obey me, since the fact of the matter is I know what I am teaching better than you do at this point. Of course, you most likely understand the teacher-student relationship by now, but I hope you understand what else I'm getting at."

"Yes, ma'am," Hisa said. She silently acknowledged that while Junko had shared things with her that she had not shared with many of Hisa's other students, their relationship had not changed. Once Monday came around, and Hisa was back in Junko's class, Junko would treat her like any other stunt, and expect Hisa to show her the same respect her peers did.

"Back then, I simply didn't have the skill or confidence to take a firm hand over my contemporaries," Junko said. "Since I was largely an amateur at tankery, I was in no position to make demands of my subordinates as far as performance went. Essentially, I felt out of my element, as I would if I were substituting for Professor Kanzaki in his English courses, and if I did not believe in my own skills, I could not lead others decisively."

"The rest of the student council felt the same way last year," Hisa said. "Momo was bossy by nature, but she was also somewhat aware of her shortcomings; she was a mediocre commander and an utterly abysmal gunner. She and my fellow student council members were glad to have me around, although they knew they couldn't rely on me- or Miho, for that matter- to win."

Junko nodded. She felt as though Hisa's point did not absolve her of her inadequacy as commander, but it did point to an important truth.

"No leader can win by their strength alone," Junko said. "Their subordinates must also step up, not only obeying the leader's orders, but doing so well enough to win. As such, since I didn't have enough faith in myself or my subordinates, you can imagine how I felt when the time came for me to draw my school's lot- and I ended up facing Black Forest."

* * *

_25 years ago_

Junko stood on stage, somewhat nervous. The act of drawing the number was extremely simple, even if it required a small amount of decorum due to the public nature of the event, a bit like accepting one's diploma at graduation. But this simple act would have wide-reaching consequences for the team, determining who they faced and when. They would need to do more than have a good draw to do well in the tournament, but if they had a bad draw, they would be faced with an almost impossible battle from the get-go.

But another part of Junko decided that it was unproductive to think of such things and simply do it. Black Forest, Pravda, and some of the other strong schools had already drawn their lots, and Junko had some idea of where they were on the tournament brackets. All that was left for her to do was to draw one of the remaining lots and let the chips fall where they may, as it were.

Junko then drew her number, and immediately realized that her first opponent was the last one she wanted- Black Forest. Of course, most of the other schools that had not gotten their first opponents by this point significantly outgunned Oarai and had more experienced people. Even if Oarai had gotten the worst possible outcome, none of the others seemed to be good.

Junko had to wonder- were there some opponents that she simply could not defeat? No matter how she thought about this, Black Forest had the advantage in every regard, save for the equal numbers forced on them by the tank limits.

But Junko, upon turning back to her teammates, realized that this was not something she could simply accept, as it was her responsibility to her teammates to do everything she could to win. If there was a chance to win, she had to do everything she could to make the most of it. And if they were doomed to fail, she would ensure that they put up a fight before they did.

* * *

_Earlier that day_

"I knew enough to realize that the odds were against me, but still hoped I could accomplish something," Junko said. "In retrospect, even that hope seems naive and overly optimistic."

Hisa shook her head. She recalled how Oarai was relatively lucky in getting Anzio for its first match. Perhaps they could have succeeded if they got a strong school like Saunders first, but they would never have stood a chance against Black Forest. But even without the stakes in place, Hisa wanted to go as far as she could.

"Actually, I know how you feel, Professor; that situation is quite familiar to me," Hisa said. "I believe in doing the best with the hand you're dealt, even if that took me a while to realize. To make a long story short, Oarai was never my first choice, due to the lack of tankery and other reasons, but I'm proud to call it my alma mater, and glad that it remains open."

"So am I, Takei-san," Junko said, smiling warmly for a moment. She had always considered Oarai Academy a good school, even if many dismissed it as unimpressive, so she was glad that another Oarai alumna felt the same way.

"Going back to the subject," Junko said, "did you see or hear about the match itself?"

"I did, Professor," Hisa said. "A few years ago, someone uploaded the video of the match online, and I found it during my first year of high school. That video became incredibly popular after Oarai won the tournament, especially among those who didn't think Oarai had what it took to win, or that its victory was a fluke."

Hisa nodded. There were those out there who complained that Oarai's victory was the result of dumb luck or the enemy's carelessness. Most of those who had gone up against them knew better, though, and were aware that Oarai's battles were difficult, but within their ability to win.

"Well, as someone who fought against Black Forest, what do you think, Takei-san?" Junko said.

"I don't think of Black Forest as incompetent then or now, Professor," Hisa said. "Nishizumi Maho-san is a skilled commander who defeated my old middle school easily. Of course, Miho is not only a skilled commander, but one who knows her sister and her old school well, and used that to her advantage. The commander isn't the only thing the team needs for victory, but in many ways, the experience, knowledge of Black Forest and leadership style Miho brought to the table were crucial for our success."

"Then you understand what you had that we did not," Junko said. "Essentially, all I have to say about the battle, apart from what you saw on the video, was that the first tank that was taken out was _my_ tank. Some would blame their subordinates in such a case, but I realized that I had not trained them well enough to overcome the loss of a commander, which throws the troops into disarray and is a blow to morale."

"I can't deny that," Hisa said. "Through a risky gambit in the match with St. Gloriana, I was able to take Mihoko's tank out of commission and gain the advantage necessary to win. But perhaps you're asking too much of yourself if you hope to overcome such disadvantages with your level of skill."

"Perhaps," Junko said. "But after the defeat, I couldn't help but think about how things might have been, and found it hard to accept that the obstacles I had faced had been insurmountable."

* * *

_25 years ago_

As Junko walked away from the tournament, she found it difficult to accept what had happened. Her school's participation in the tournament had barely begun, and now it was over so soon. One of Junko's subordinates muttered to herself, accusing the tournament organizers of inviting them to the tournament for no other reason than to humiliate them, and even rigging the selection so that Oarai ended up against Black Forest. The only evidence for that was that Black Forest had drawn their lot first and Oarai had drawn theirs last.

Junko recalled what Shiho had told her before the battle started. Regardless of whether she was ready to face Black Forest, they had been her opponents in the first round. Regardless of whether she was worthy of being commander, she was. Her teammates had counted on her to lead them to victory, and because she had not been able to do so, there were no second chances.

So what was competing in tankery all about, then? Was it a simple matter of proceeding until their school encountered one too strong for them to defeat? Junko knew that some of the stronger schools had this problem, as St. Gloriana and Pravda tended to fall against Black Forest, if not each other. In spite of that, it was easier if they were able to defeat some of their enemies, or at least make a decent showing.

One of Junko's teammates asked her if she wanted to say anything to the others in response to the loss, but Junko said no and excused herself, not knowing what to say. No answers were coming at the moment, but she would have the rest of her high school career to think of something to say, some silver lining in the cloud of Oarai's humiliating defeat. She owed that much to the team that would be around next year... although she began to wonder whether the team would still be around in any significant capacity by then.

* * *

_Earlier that day_

"I wasn't the only one who felt this way," Junko said. "Some of my teammates were new to tankery, and after this harsh first impression, they left it and never looked back."

"You took it remarkably hard, all things considered, Professor," Hisa said. "Some of those unfortunate enough to get Black Forest as an opponent are resigned to their low chances of success. As such, they don't get their hopes up, but don't fall into despair when they lose."

"Well, there is a difference between a narrow loss and a crushing defeat," Junko said. "I'm fairly surprised you did as well as you did in your first year- even your loss against BC Freedom while outnumbered- and you should be proud of doing that well."

"Thank you, Professor," Hisa said. "But in any case, Miho probably could overcome the odds if she faced them again."

"She's luckier than most in some ways, notably in that she has a second chance," Junko said. "We had no such luck, even if we had no way of knowing for certain that we would never get another shot at the championship in any of our high school careers."

"So all that happened after you graduated, Professor?" Hisa said. "How exactly did you hear about it?"

"My cousin Chiaki, who's two years younger than I am, was, like you, a treasurer for her student council," Junko said, "and she eventually became a chief financial officer for a small corporation. With no volunteers for commander, I appointed her an interim commander in hopes that we would be able to find a replacement. You could call that nepotism, but she was the only person I really trusted for the job."

Hisa sighed, pondering how none of Junko's comrades had qualified. Most of Hisa's friends at Oarai- her fellow student council members, her crewmates in Octopus Team, Yumi, Miho and Yukari- were all on the tankery team, but Hisa considered the rest to be trustworthy comrades. If Junko could not say the same of her teammates, it was clearly the beginning of the end for hr team.

"How did that work?" Hisa said.

Junko let off a slightly bitter chuckle. She had more of a sense of humor than Hisa expected, but she found the answer to Hisa's question more depressing than funny.

"The short answer is 'it didn't,' Takei-san," Junko said. "Chiaki was the commander for administrative purposes only. She had the authority to take attendance, review applications, and discipline any members, but couldn't command; you'd be better at teaching my class than she would be at commanding. We didn't have the people necessary to do practice, so her lack of tankery skills was never a practical concern. But we failed to get the people we needed, and so the club was soon cut."

* * *

_24 years ago_

Early on in the year, the student council met and discussed the school's clubs and electives. Tankery, having too few members, was essentially stripped of its status as a recognized elective, but still remained in existence as a club, but would lose even that before long.

"So, Treasurer," the president said. "Do you have any news from the tankery club?"

"Unfortunately, I don't have any regarding our attempts to replace the missing members, President," Chiaki said. "But the deadline for officially entering the tournament is next week. I'd like your permission to enter."

The other student council members looked at each other, and shrugged.

"I don't know tankery all that well," the public relations rep said, "but isn't it more or less a formality, essentially signing a sheet agreeing to all the rules of the tournament and mailing it in?"

_"If only it were that simple,"_ Chiaki thought as she let off a sigh.

"The problem is that I haven't been able to find anyone interested in commanding," Chiaki said, "as well as people to replace the large number of third-years who left at the end of last year. We'll likely only be able to field three or four tanks at most, and we won't stand a chance. Based on what I saw of my cousin Junko's only match as leader, if we run into a strong school, we'll be gunned down before we put up a fight."

"Then I don't see what the point of entering is..." the president said, "nor do I see the point of keeping this club around. Clubs operate on popular interest, and it seems that few do tankery here, and fewer are interested in joining the club."

Chiaki sighed. She had to admit that she got into her position as a favor to her cousin, and had no interest in it, meaning that she could not argue why it should not be cut. She also had no evidence to counter the president's points, and what little she had noticed proved that there were few who were interested in keeping it around. As such, there was only one last thing she could do as tankery commander; find out what would happen to her club's materials

"What are you going to do with the tanks, then?" Chiaki said.

"To put it simply, we're going to try to sell them," the president said. "They are the property of this school, and we intend to put them to good use for the school, just as we are reallocating the funding used for tankery elsewhere. Can I count on you to handle that?"

Chiaki reluctantly nodded. This was not the role she had hoped to play for the tankery club, but she had a responsibility to the student council, and would fulfill it.

"Yes, ma'am," Chiaki said.

* * *

After the decision was made, Chiaki called Junko and told her about everything that had happened in the meeting.

"I understand," Junko said. "The tankery club had hardly any members this year, and couldn't go on to the tournament. In addition, even maintaining the tanks and buying fuel and appropriate shells for them is somewhat expensive. It's natural that we couldn't afford to keep it around, especially when hardly anyone was interested in it."

"I'm glad you understand this much, Junko," Chiaki said. "But you don't seem entirely happy with this."

"I'm a bit sad to hear that they're selling the tanks," Junko said. "As long as we have them around, it's possible that someone could come along and revive the club someday. It's a bit depressing that the tankery team will end this way, without any hope of coming back."

"I understand," Chiaki said. "It's natural to want one last chance to protect what you hold dear and are about to lose for good. Knowing that, I fought as hard as I could to keep the club going, but unfortunately, I was fighting alone."

"I don't blame you," Junko said. "Don't take this the wrong way, but if you were the only one trying this hard to keep the tankery around, then perhaps this was meant to happen. Not many people are willing to keep it afloat, and there are those who would want it gone, after all."

* * *

Later that day, Junko met with one of her former schoolmates, Isuzu Yuri, who had also graduated from Oarai Academy, and was studying botany at Junko's university. Yuri wore a long-sleeved dress. For many people, that was dressing up, but for her, that was as close as she got to a modern casual outfit.

"I see," Yuri said, trying to keep her tone level and her feelings to herself. "As a former tanker, you must have found the news quite unfortunate, Junko-san."

"Well, at least something good came out of it," Junko said. "In the same meeting in which tankery was cut, lower arranging was officially recognized as an Oarai elective. Congratulations, Yuri; you got what you wanted, even if it's after your graduation."

"Yes, I'm glad to hear that," Yuri said. "All my life, I grew up around flower arranging, as part of my training to inherit my family's school. I want to share my passion with others, help people learn more about it, and see it afforded the same respect as other arts of its nature."

Unlike her daughter, Yuri's time in the calligraphy elective had helped her realize where her passions lay. It had mainly served to remind her of the difference between doing something because she had to and because she wanted to.

As such, many years later, when she had a daughter, she was glad when that daughter seemed to enjoy flower arranging, and was frustrated when that daughter forsook flower arranging in favor of tankery without telling her. She was angry that Hana chose tankery over flower arrangement, and upset that she did not confide in her.

But this was far in the future, and at the time, no one believed that Oarai's tankery program would ever return, much less rediscover its former glory. More people at Oarai shared Yuri's perspective than Junko's, and they believed that tankery was yet another trend that rose and fell at Oarai. Perhaps it would return in the future, but Junko believed it needed a large foundation of support, a stronger leader than her and the right circumstances to re-establish itself.

* * *

_Earlier that day_

"I have no doubt that Chiaki did what she could," Junko said. "Unfortunately, since she was the only one fighting for it, and she mainly did so for my sake, it was clear that few cared very much about keeping the tankery around, and a significant number _wanted_ to see it go."

"You knew an Isuzu Yuri-san, Professor?" Hisa said.

"I do," Junko said. "She never liked tankery, but she understood what it meant to me as a friend. That's why she kept her opinions about tankery to herself, even though she knew I knew about them. And that's why I was surprised to hear of Isuzu Hana-san participating in tankery."

Hisa simply nodded. She remembered that Hana's doing tankery as an Isuzu heiress had put her at odds with her mother, but had no desire to disclose that.

"Well, I know from Miho that sometimes, kids can take paths that are different from their parents," Hisa said. "But going back to what you mentioned before that, Professor, I take it you never found a buyer for those tanks."

"That's true," Junko said. "From what Chiaki told me, apparently, the Student Council stopped trying to sell them, or even keep track of them. One by one, they disappeared into various places on the Oarai school ship as the tankery program was forgotten."

"I see," Hisa said. "We found the tanks in all sorts of strange places- in a disused storage area, in the bottom of a pond, and even in a small storage room in the bowels of the ship. Do you have any ideas as to how they got there?"

Junko let off an amused chuckle.

"No, but that must be quite a story, Takei-san," Junko said. "Although regarding the latter, I did hear a rumor that the Auto Club was disgruntled over being called in to repair the tanks all the time, and resented having to help take care of a club that couldn't stand on its own. So they took out their frustration on the Porsche Tiger, which they regarded as the worst of the lot, taking it to a place where it would be difficult to retrieve."

"And their successors in the Auto Club helped retrieve that tank," Hisa said. "I wonder if you might call that irony, in a sense."

"Well, you should take it with a grain of salt, since I heard it second-hand," Junko said. "Chiaki heard it from a friend, and said friend claims that she knew a member of the auto-club."

"Maybe so, Professor," Hisa said, "but I still find your theory quite plausible. Some of the newcomers in the Auto Club are apparently less than happy about having a fair amount of their club time taken up repairing tanks."

"I see, but do they still do tankery?" Junko said.

"Yes, ma'am," Hisa said. "Our group may not be the most experienced in tankery, but they try their best and do well together."

"That's good to hear," Junko said. "And I believe that's what matters the most in the end, Takei-san. Because you had a large group of recruits who were willing to improve themselves, you were able to make a good team. And because of your and Nishizumi-san's leadership, you were able to lead them to victory. It may sound like a somewhat standard piece of advice, but the best thing you can do to ensure continued success is to continue to bring in good people and good leaders, even if they're not necessarily very experienced. I may not be able to tell you how you can solve the team's problems, but I know that you can only do so together."

"Our team does its best on that regard," Hisa said. "So we should be able to

Junko gland at her watch. Meeting with Hisa was an unusual gesture on her part, but it was also one that she had to schedule and budget time for.

"I believe that's all I have to tell you," Junko said. "Unless you have any questions, I'll send you on your way."

"Thank you, for telling me this story, Professor" Hisa said.

"You're welcome, Takei-san," Junko said, with a polite smile. "Again, feel free to share what we discussed with Nishizumi-san and Haramura-san, as well as anyone from Oarai. I'm glad to hear that tankery's back at Oarai, and hope its future is better than its past."

"So am I, Professor," Hisa said as she got up and, with a bow of gratitude, excused herself. She had many things to do, among them, writing an e-mail to Miho about what she had learned.

* * *

_Present day_

Miho finished looking over the summary of what Junko had told Hisa. It was clear that there was no one cause to the downfall of Oarai's previous tankery team, and that if Miho hoped to preserve the team for years to come, she would have to deal with multiple issues.

_Unfortunately, Professor Saotome didn't have a winning formula any more than you and I did, nor did she claim that was the case. But her experience had a great many insights on what we could do. It's not your task alone, nor is it Nodoka's, but  
_

_That's all for now. Congratulations on winning against Nodoka's team, and I hope things are going well for you at Oarai._

_Hisa_

Miho smiled and composed a brief e-mail to Hisa thanking her, asking her to send her thanks to Junko as well. As she sent it, she sat back and pondered what the future would hold. Nothing lasted forever, and many of the years that would be critical for the success of Oarai's tankery team would be out of Miho's hands. But Miho would do what she could, training strong tankers and leading them well. She would face all challengers that came this year, including the one that had defeated them last year. Those efforts were small in the grand scheme of things, and were not all that the team needed, but she resolved to do what she could to preserve the tankery team for the future.

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

I decided to continue the numbering of the Interludes from Necessary to Win; rather than 1-9 again, they will be 10-18. Let me know what you think of this numbering system.

This is something of a first as far as Interludes go, since it focuses almost exclusively on OCs, and is significantly more in the past than previous interludes, which tend to not go back more than 10 years in the past. Here, it shows the rest of the story behind the fall of Oarai's tankery team.

Edited to fix some minor errors

**Character Analysis: Junko Saotome**

If Miho represents the best commander that Oarai could have had, Junko represents a more probable and less pleasant result. Junko is essentially someone who has very little experience, but still has more than her peers, and so is drafted to lead her team, perhaps what Oarai would have been able to expect if Miho and Octopus Team had not been around. Oarai could not have won without everyone giving their all, but it also needed a good leader, and virtually none of the newcomers to tankery had what it took.

Junko knows that she's less than ideal, but resolves to do her best for the sake of the team. In spite of those low expectations, and in part because of Junko's relatively low self-esteem, she took her failure somewhat hard. Junko has ultimately recovered, but is a changed woman. No longer the self-effacing and laid back young woman, she has become a competent and confident, yet stern and somewhat aloof professor.

One has to wonder how the experience of leading the team will change Miho. Perhaps she will not change the same way Junko has, but she will most likely have to grow somewhat more confident and assertive as a result of continuing to lead the team, even if the person she is at heart does not change.

Oarai's old tankery team went out with a whimper, rather than a bang, so to speak, and perhaps it was beyond salvation by the time Junko took the helm. But for the current Oarai team, hope remains as long as the team consists of talented, motivated and determined individuals, who care about the team's success and are willing to do whatever is necessary to sustain it.


	5. Burdens of Leadership

**Chapter 4**: **Burdens of Leadership**

Over the next few weeks, Oarai's tankery team continued to practice, both doing practice matches and holding training sessions. The former identified the team's shortcomings, and the latter helped the team members work on remedying them.

The process was slow, as many would imagine. Those who had been on the team since its inception had fought in several difficult battles, and performed many hours of training, so it was difficult for the newcomers to catch up to them, and even more difficult to catch up with those who had been doing tankery for all their high school careers, if not since before then.

Miho pondered what to expect of the newer members. She knew that they would have to put in a great deal of effort into improving themselves in order to fight on par with the other members, and make a good showing against their opponents. It was a great deal to ask of the newcomers, but she knew that it was because it was what their circumstances demanded. In spite of that, Miho hoped that the newer members would realize that tankery was challenging, but it was also fun and fulfilling. She hoped that the more difficult parts would not scare away the neophytes, but they would stick around long enough to improve at tankery and learn how to enjoy it.

* * *

Octopus Team's efforts were primarily focused on getting its members adjusted to their new roles, having had Maho and Mako switching roles. They saw it as a temporary setback that made for more work in the short term, but would lead to improved team-wide performance over the long term.

"How are things going here?" Miho said, as she greeted Octopus Team near their tank inside the tank garage.

"Quite well, Miho-senpai," Nodoka said. "Maho-chan has improved a great deal under Someya-senpai's guidance. She's patient, studies hard, and doesn't have to worry about imitating others, so I'm confident that the arrangement _we_ worked out together is ideal for her."

Maho's face lit up. Nodoka was somewhat emotionally reserved and strict, so being praised by someone like that, who was also a person Maho held in high regard, was pleasing for her to hear.

"I'm apparently doing pretty well, too," Mako said. "The other Mako commented that I've actually done my homework, so to speak, so she's glad that she doesn't have to walk me through every single little thing. I suppose that's partly her not wanting to do as much work, but partly due to her wanting us to pull our weight."

"That's good to hear, Someya-san," Miho said. "The new setup seems to be paying off so far, so I'd like you to stick with it. All of us have room for improvement, but you're not the only ones with a bit of extra work in that regard."

Nodoka sighed. She was aware that tankery had not always come easily to her, so she understood that some people were having trouble. In spite of that, she believed it was not unreasonable to expect her teammates to overcome their challenges, for the sake of the team as a whole.

"I know," Nodoka said. "As much as I sympathize with the newcomers' difficulty, I do hope that they will overcome them, for all our sakes. But _because_ their doing so benefits all of us, I'm willing to do whatever I can to help."

* * *

From the observation tower, Miho, Nodoka and Aiko watched some of the teams practicing. Anglerfish Team and Octopus Team were under the temporary command of Yukari and Saki, respectively. The two teams, typically Oarai's best tankery crews, were not quite up to their usual performance, although they were still able to keep up with the others. Perhaps this was not ideal, but it was a potential arrangement if their respective commanders were unable to come to a match.

Oarai's commander, vice-captain and temporary instructor were particularly interested in watching Leopon Team practicing with the Porsche Tiger, trying to keep it going for as long as possible.

After a short driving exercise involving the Porsche Tiger pursuing the M3 Lee, the Porsche Tiger had an engine failure and threw up the white flag. The fire was put out in moments, and the white flag was reset in minutes, but Miho knew that if this was an actual match, the tank would be permanently out of the game.

"Out of curiosity, Nishizumi-san, was this a recurring problem last year?" Aiko said.

"It was, at first," Miho said. "By the time the finals came, Leopon Team was able to keep its problems to a minimum, so we were able to use the Porsche Tiger effectively in the match with Black Forest. It performed well, but couldn't stand up to the Maus."

"I'm honestly surprised you're getting it to work at this level," Aiko said. "Statistically, it's one of your better tanks, but with the various technical difficulties, most teams would dismiss it as too impractical to use, even under your circumstances."

"Perhaps that may be what's holding them back, Instructor," Nodoka said. "To succeed, we've had to make use of plans that most would not think of, and overcome odds that would intimidate most tankers."

"I understand," Aiko said. "In fact, my tankery instructor believes that the pursuits that are more difficult are often the ones most worth pursuing. Keeping this tankery club going will require a great deal of work after I'm gone, after Nishizumi-san has graduated, and most likely after you and your kouhais are gone from this school as well. But it's also worthwhile, and I'm glad that I'm able to help."

"I'm glad to hear that, Instructor," Miho said. "Let's continue to work with Leopon team to see if we can get them to work on operating their machine well in combat, because they'll soon be put to the test."

* * *

Miho and Nodoka had yet another meeting with the student council in their office, in which they discussed the results of practice thus far.

"That's good to hear," Shizuru said. "It sounds as though everyone is, at the very least, making some progress."

Shiina nodded in agreement. She recognized that Anteater Team had a long way to go before they caught up with their more experienced peers, but she was glad that she was performing as well as could be expected of her.

"I know," Miho said. "But while practice is helpful, a training match against another school would be good to determine how we stand against our rivals. Since the student council's approval is necessary to determine when and whether the ship goes into port, I needed your approval."

"That's true," Shizuru said. "Of course, from what I have heard, as far as the tournament goes, most school ships plan ahead for their tournament matches, sometimes without knowing whether they will even win the matches first. But in any case, Nishizumi-san, we will remain open minded to any practice match time and date within the realm of possibility."

* * *

Finding a practice opponent was not such an easy task, considering the myriad factors Oarai had to take into account.

They were hesitant to get too difficult of an opponent, such as Pravda or Black Forest, for the sake of avoiding demoralizing the newer members. They had won against Black Forest, but only barely, and under the flag tank rule. Perhaps they would fare better than most in an annihilation match, but they stood little chance of winning if they were outgunned.

At the same time, they wanted to avoid getting a relatively weak school, such as Waffle or Chihatan, so that their opponent would present a challenge. An overly easy victory could potentially make the veterans overconfident and the newcomers complacent. Naturally, they had to consider the other school's interest, and pick a school that wanted to improve, but was not overly concerned with tipping their hand to a prominent rival before the tournament.

Finding a school that satisfied these competing requirements was difficult enough, but other factors narrowed down the list of viable possibilities even further. St. Gloriana's schedule was entirely incompatible with Oarai's. Saunders and Anzio had other engagements in the immediate future, causing Miho to wonder whether they were having matches with each other. A few other schools failed to return Oarai's phone calls, or sent replies declining their request. Frustrated, Shiina once remarked out loud that they should settle for any school that was available and willing, and none of the others contested the possibility that it would come to that.

One of the few remaining options worth considering was BC Freedom Academy, the school that Oarai had faced in a practice match the previous year. So Miho's spirits rose when she heard Arakawa Kei, their commander, approve of the plan when Miho called her, with her coach, Fujita Yasuko, and the BC Freedom student council president also on the line.

"Yes, we are available this coming Sunday," Kei said. "And we would certainly be willing to face you again, Nishizumi-san."

The group representing Oarai, which consisted of the student council, Miho, Nodoka and Aiko, nodded approvingly.

"Thank you very much, Arakawa-san," Miho said.

"You're welcome," Kei said. "I do have a request, though, and I hope it doesn't sound too forward."

"No, please feel free to ask us," Miho said. "The terms for the match are ones that we both agree on, and we, at Oarai, are open-minded."

"You are going to bring 10 tanks this time, are you not?" Kei said.

"Yes, that's our entire team," Miho said, knowing full well that people knew that Oarai's team was small, and there was little point in pretending that they had more tanks or people that they were keeping in reserve. There was a time when they could count on people not knowing which tanks they had, but after Oarai's very public victory in the finals despite being outnumbered two to one, Oarai no longer had the advantage of obscurity.

"I thought so," Kei said. "In that case, we, too, would like to commit all of our tanks- 15 total- into the practice session. Doing so would enable _all_ of our team to get practice against a strong opponent, and might potentially pose more of a challenge to you."

Miho glanced at Nodoka, whose expression turned concerned. None of those present and responsible for making the decision were entirely opposed to Kei's proposal, but a part of Miho believed that she could not accept without taking some time to discuss and consider it.

"I see," Miho said. "I'd like to consult with the Student Council before I agree to this."

Miho turned back to the Student Council, away from where the speaker phone would pick up their voices.

"What do you think?" Miho said.

"It does seem as though it would put them at an advantage," Shizuru said. "However, considering that this is a practice match, nothing would be at stake. Furthermore, unless I'm mistaken, did we not go up against similar odds last year?"

"Ten against seven, to be precise," Nodoka said. "At a ratio of about three opponents for every two of us, that's similar odds to what we would face if we say yes. Back then, it also gave us some idea of what we were up against in the tournament, primarily fighting against an opponent who outnumbered us, and will show us what we will face in the semi-finals. We're not guaranteed to win, but we should learn a few things from having another match, particularly how much we've improved and how much our opponents have."

"Perhaps BC Freedom would benefit from this," Ayano said, "but this is meant to be a mutually beneficial exercise, rather than a zero-sum exchange. Furthermore, if we're going to get that far in the tournament, we need to know how we'll do once we get there. As such, I think we'd benefit from it, so there's no reason to say no except for the - odds that we'll eventually face in the tournament."

"And you, Instructor?" Miho said to Aiko.

"To be honest, Nishizumi-san, in most cases, I haven't worked alongside many schools with this few tanks," Aiko said. "I know that most schools with larger teams are willing to match numbers with the smaller school, often to prepare their teams for the early rounds, or train some of the less experienced members of their teams." Aiko smiled slightly. "But of course, I haven't heard of many other schools that can do well while outnumbered, so perhaps you'll be able to pull this off. In any case, I would recommend that you say yes, although it is ultimately your decision. Do you agree?"

"Yes, ma'am," Miho said. "I think it would be worth a try, at least, so my answer will be yes."

The others nodded in approval, and Miho turned back to the receiver.

"Arakawa-san?" Miho said. "Are you still there?"

"Yes, Nishizumi-san," Kei said. "Have you reached a decision?"

"We accept your terms," Miho said. "Our ten crews will face your fifteen."

"Thank you, Nishizumi-san," Kei said. "Now let's get down to arranging a match. We'll be pulling into our home port at Sunday. Would coming there and having a match with us at 9 a.m. be best for you?"

Miho looked around, and Shizuru gave a nod of approval.

"That works just fine," Miho said. "We will see you there."

"I look forward to the match, Nishizumi-san," Kei said. "Until then."

"Goodbye," Miho said, before hanging up.

"Good work setting this up, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said. "I believe that is all we need to discuss today, so you are free to go."

"Thank you all for your help," Miho said, bowing and taking her leave.

* * *

Outside the student council office, Miho and Nodoka prepared to part ways.

"There you are, Nodoka-chan!" Saki called out. "Would you like to walk home together?"

"Certainly, Saki," Nodoka said. "I will see you tomorrow at practice, Miho-senpai."

"I'll see you then, Nodoka-san, Saki-san," Miho said.

"Goodbye, Miho-senpai," Saki said.

Miho waved goodbye to the two, who were some of her closest friends outside her crew, as they walked away. As they left, Miho noticed two people behind her, and turned around to see Shiina and Natsumi, who had been waiting to speak with her.

"Do you have a minute, Nishizumi-san?" Natsumi said.

"Yes," Miho said. "Would you like to talk with me about something, Vice President, PR Rep?"

"You don't need to use our titles, Nishizumi-san," Shiina said, "We're not on the clock, so to speak. In fact, is it all right if we use _first _names?"

"I'm fine with that, Shiina-san," Miho said.

"I'm glad to hear that, Miho," Natsumi said. "Shiina and I were hoping that the president wasn't putting too much pressure on you."

"I don't think so, Natsumi-san," Miho said. "She's honest with me about the difficulties we all face, but she doesn't ask anything of me that I can't or shouldn't have to do."

"That's good," Shiina said. "The president has all sorts of responsibilities and obligations, and hopes that the tankery team's performance helps with them. In spite of that, winning is no longer as vitally important as last year, so you don't need to feel as though you're carrying the fate of this school on your shoulders again."

"We were also hoping to talk to Haramura-san," Natsumi said, "so that we could ask her the same question and extend to her the same offer. But she's already left, and she hasn't quite had the same... tankery background... as you do, so we'll meet with her later."

Miho paused, having some idea of what Natsumi was getting at, apart from the obvious reference to the previous year's tournament.

"To be honest, while last year was the first- and I hope the _only- _time I was fighting for such high stakes, with so many people who might potentially be impacted, I'm somewhat accustomed to fighting with a great deal on the line," Miho said. "My family sees perfection as the standard we all must meet, and has no tolerance for those who do not further their goal of perfection."

"Ah, yes, the Nishizumi style," Shiina said. "And I thought _my_ mom was strict."

"But you didn't just go along with it, did you, Miho?" Natsumi said. "From what I've heard of the Nishizumi style, it's quite ruthless and demanding, and not at all like how you lead. As such, it hardly seems as though you just fell in line, even with all the pressure that you describe."

"No, I couldn't, Natsumi-san," Miho said, "because it was never in my nature to put victory above all else, treat people as tools, or keep distance from others as some of the more zealous practitioners of our style do. But I do what I do in large part because my older sister has chosen to be the heiress our mother needs, for the sake of allowing me to be whatever kind of person and tanker I wish. My sister once told me that if I wished to repay her for this gift, I could do so by cherishing and making the most of it."

"Wow, that's quite nice of her," Shiina said. "I'm an only child, as is Natsumi, so we're not sure what to expect from older siblings, or what to do for younger siblings"

"Neither am I," Miho said, "because my family is not much like any other family. I've heard of other tank families, and have a few friends from the Atago family, but the Nishizumi family is stricter than most of them. In spite of that, it's _my_ family, and I can't change that, even if I'm not able to do the style of tankery my mother practices, teaches and hopes I will follow."

"That explains a great deal," Natsumi said. "Since Shiina and I have been forced to conform to our family's expectations in certain ways, we know that it takes a certain amount of courage to oppose your family in such a way, even if your sister is supporting you."

"Part of my courage comes from various people who are supporting and counting on me," Miho said. "It's for their sake that I hope to do as well as I can, and why I don't feel pressured while doing so, since they're doing their best as well. I recognize that I couldn't accomplish what I had without their efforts, so I strive to be the kind of leader they can count on."

Shiina and Natsumi looked at each other and exchanged a smile and a nod. Their worries about Miho had been dispelled, and they felt confident having her as their leader.

"That's a good perspective, Miho," Shiina said. "And because we know this, too, you can also count on us."

"Thank you, Shiina-san, Natsumi-san," Miho said. "I'll talk with you later."

With a bow and a wave, Miho hurried off to meet up with the four girls who had been some of her greatest and most reliable supporters in her time at the school.

* * *

Miho, entering the ice cream parlor, saw the rest of her crew, who waved her over.

"Sorry I'm late," Miho said. "I was briefly talking with two of the student council members, in addition to my meeting with the student council."

"That's not a problem, Miporin," Saori said. "We weren't waiting long, since we knew about your meeting."

"What did they say?" Hana said.

Miho smiled pleasantly and shook her head, wanting to be clear that she was not hiding anything from her friends. Over the course of the last year, she had learned that she could trust her friends with her secrets, such as her sensitive family issues and difficult experiences in the past, so she naturally felt comfortable being honest about herself with them.

"Not much," Miho said. "They just wanted to make sure I wasn't under too much pressure, and they were glad to hear I was able to do well with the others' support."

"That's good," Mako said. "I'm not a big fan of high-pressure 'motivation,' so this tournament should be somewhat more relaxing and fun."

"Well-said, Reizei-dono," Yukari said. "Tankery is meant to be enjoyed. Speaking of matches without concrete stakes, did you manage to get a practice match set up, Nishizumi-dono?"

"We did," Miho said. "We will be facing BC Freedom again, in their home port in Osaka, at 9 a.m. Sunday."

Mako sighed, her expression clearly disappointed.

"Is the starting time a problem, Mako?" Saori said. "It should be late enough that you don't need to get up early."

"That's not it," Mako said. "Think about it a moment, Saori; neither your parents nor my grandma will be able to come to this match. And since this is isn't an especially important match, it's not likely to be broadcast on television. The reporter for our news station didn't cover the match last year until the sports section of the evening news, and I don't think they'll send a crew to Osaka just for this."

"Oh," Saori said. "Most of our matches are as the 'home' team or in the tournament, so it's easy for my parents to see them."

Mako nodded. Her grandmother had collapsed at some point on the day of Oarai's first round, and had been hospitalized until the finals, catching most of the matches on television. She felt slightly jealous of Yukari, whose parents lived and worked on the Oarai ship and could come to all of their daughter's matches. Yukari, sensing this, decided not to speak up.

"You are not alone, Mako-san, Saori-san," Hana said. "My mother lives in the city of Mito, and I believe Miho-san's mother lives in an entirely different prefecture."

"Kumamoto prefecture, specifically, the city of the same name," Miho said. "But incidentally, I recently heard from Isobe-san and Tsuyama-san that for smaller tournaments, such as mahjong clubs or volleyball teams, they simply arrange transportation for the members off the ships, rather than waiting for the ships to dock."

"I see," Yukari said. "In that case, let's do our best, so we have something good to tell our parents."

Miho remained silent, unable to say anything in response. In spite of her mother's near obsession with victory, she wanted victory in her school's name, in the style her family had taught for generations, since Miho's great-grandmother had founded the school. Even if Oarai won, its victory would not likely be one that Shiho would approve of.

Naturally, Miho's personality and style of tankery had led her to conflict with her mother on many occasions. In Miho's first year of high school, this had culminated in Miho saving the crew of one of her team's tanks from drowning, but abandoning the flag tank in the process. Shiho had vocally disapproved of this decision and Miho, knowing that she would otherwise be unable to escape pressure from her mother, had transferred to Oarai.

At Oarai, Miho had initially been unwilling to get into tankery again, but she chose to do it because of her friends' support, glad to find those who would give her their unconditional support, and out of the belief that this would be a team that was very different from her old school. Miho's belief was proven correct, as the majority of Oarai fought on without the same expectations for victory that Black Forest had, even when winning was necessary to save their school. To the former student council, the tournament was a chance for Oarai to stay alive, and if nothing else, a small bit of hope that was preferable to giving in to despair and closing the school down, with the students spending their final year at Oarai with the school gradually shutting down.

In the semifinals, Shiho had, while believing Miho had never been a vital part of Black Forest, threatened her with being disowned if she were to lose to Saunders. In spite of the odds against her, Miho won against Saunders, and repeated the feat with Black Forest in the finals, in spite of Shiho's belief that Miho would never be able to defeat Maho.

But while Miho was able to resist the pressure her mother put on her, win against her family's style and even stave off the threat of being disowned, she could not so easily convince Shiho of the validity of her style, as Shiho hoped to reassert the Nishizumi style's superiority. Itsumi Erika, who was one of Shiho's students, and a rival of Miho's for the position of vice-captain for Black Forest, was essentially Shiho's champion in the tournament. As such, Shiho would be rooting for Erika, rather than her own younger daughter.

Saori, realizing that they could not make any progress toward solving the problem at the moment, and it was making Miho uncomfortable, decided to change the subject. They would have a great deal of time to deal with Black Forest when they faced the former champion again, but for now, they would enjoy themselves and deal with their more immediate task of a rematch with BC Freedom.

* * *

The day of the match, the ship pulled into port, alongside the BC Freedom school ship, which was somewhat larger than Oarai's. Some newcomers to Oarai marveled at how large it was by comparison, while Miho, having come from Black Forest, knew that Oarai's school ship was relatively small. She was well aware that Oarai was in many ways different from the schools she had attended in the past, being smaller, having relatively humble ambitions and having fewer expectations on its tankers. While some would consider Oarai less impressive because of those qualities, Miho appreciated her school because it was all of those things, and hoped to do what she could to help Oarai stand against better-regarded schools.

The ten tanks proceeded off the ship through the ramp used for unloading cars, along with many other residents of the ship, who had decided to come ashore for various reasons. Some had to go there for work, others wanted to have leisure time there, and still others simply wanted to spend time on dry land. For Oarai, it was a combination of these motives. They sought to face BC Freedom for the sake of their improvement as a team and because it was fun, as well as hoping to see the port city once they were finished.

* * *

In a forest clearing on the battlefield, Oarai's ten commanders stood across from the fifteen BC Freedom commanders. Miho noticed some new faces in the crowd, whether people who had not had a chance to fight alongside the others the previous year, those who were new to commanding, or those who were new to the team, and suspected the team had changed just like Oarai's had.

As Aiko and Yasuko introduced themselves to each other, Kei's new vice captain approached Nodoka.

"Haramura Nodoka-san?" Hatsuse said. "I'm Okahashi Hatsuse, vice captain. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"It's nice to meet you as well," Nodoka said. "But do you know me?"

"We have a friend in common," Hatsuse said. "Ako's looking forward to how both of our schools do."

Nodoka remembered Hatsuse after hearing this. She knew that Hatsuse was a friend of Ako's from middle school, which meant that Hatsuse did not know the other members of Harue's tankery club from Achiga, nor people like Arata and Kirame, whom Ako had met in high school.

"That's good to hear," Nodoka said. "I'll send your regards to her some time after the match, and let her know how it went."

Yasuko nodded, and chose the moment to segue into another announcement.

"Before I forget," Yasuko said, "among the many people who will be watching this match, there are two you may know well."

Yasuko gestured toward Takei Hisa, the former vice-captain of the Oarai tankery team, and Fukuji Mihoko, former commander of St. Gloriana. The two had first met each other in their final year of middle school, as commanders of opposing sides, and had reconnected after Hisa's team had defeated Mihoko's in the quarterfinals of the previous tournament. The two had become close friends, and were attending university together.

"It's nice to see you again, Hisa-senpai, Fukuji-san," Miho said.

"Same here, Miho," Hisa said. "I'm looking forward to seeing how the newcomers fare and how much everyone else has improved as they face the one opponent that defeated us last year."

"You and Arakawa-san have a great deal in common, Nishizumi-san," Mihoko said. "Some may call your schools weak, but you fight at a level far beyond what most think you capable of, which is an admirable feat."

"Thank you," Miho said, as she smiled appreciatively.

"Thank you for the kind words, Fukuji-san," Kei said. "It's certainly encouraging to hear that."

"Indeed," Yasuko said. "I'm of the belief that not all odds can be overcome, but there's a certain value in trying, which is worthwhile." She then gestured at Hisa. "A certain friend of mine often reminds me about what it means to persist when the odds are against you."

"I know," Hisa said. "But this time, I can't honestly say whether Oarai or BC Freedom is at the disadvantage."

Miho nodded. While Oarai was the champion, it was by no means invincible. This was especially true when it still fielded fewer tanks than the majority of its rivals, and that many of those tanks were of decidedly lower quality. While BC Freedom had lost in the first round of the previous tournament, it had defeated Oarai before, so with numerical superiority, there was a very real chance that it could repeat that feat.

But at the same time, while Oarai was no longer in danger of closing down, it had not lost its determination, which it had often exhibited even while most of its members were ignorant of what was at stake. For the sake of its pride as a school, and for the sake of pursuing the same hope that all underdogs sought, it would prevail.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

The match with BC Freedom is the only time Oarai will face an opponent it has already fought against, at least until the finals. The main reason why I chose to have them face BC Freedom again was because Oarai had lost to them before; for this reason, I hope that Oarai has a rematch with St. Gloriana in canon.

The Maginot manga has some interesting information about why certain schools might refuse Oarai's request for a match, which I included here. Some may not want to show much of their arsenal or tactics prior to the tournament (although I'm curious as to how much of each, perhaps save for the Maus, are surprises to those who are well-informed). It's also indicated that it's close to the tournament, which might pose problems for scheduling the matches.


	6. A Second Chance At Victory

**Chapter 5: A Second Chance At Victory**

The exhibition match between Oarai and BC Freedom took place in a wooded area north of Osaka, with both sides starting in separate positions in the forest.

Residents of BC Freedom's home port watched on large viewing screens in designated viewing area. The battlefield was farther out of town, but various parts of the city were still cordoned off in case the fighting spilled over into it.

The crowd was larger this time, partly because of the larger urban area, and partly because of the hype associated with a champion coming to town, although few people that Oarai knew were among them. The many banners, posters and flags inside the town proudly proclaimed that the winner of the last tournament had come. The locals were excited to have a match against a champion, and even more excited at the prospect of their home team winning against Oarai once again.

* * *

At Oarai's starting point was in a more densely wooded part of the battlefield, the team prepared for BC Freedom's attack. Since their opponents were on their home turf, they would know the terrain better, and would not easily be caught off guard. In spite of the enemy having that advantage, Oarai could still turn things to their favor with the element of surprise.

"All teams, keep an eye out for the enemy," Miho said over the radio.

Seven of BC Freedom's tanks approached from far off in the distance, with Miho barely able to see all of them through the trees; she suspected that they would be hard-pressed to see her tanks in the denser part of the forest. The group of largely French tanks were not particularly impressive for the most part, but they were too far away for Oarai to hit. While they were fewer in number than Oarai, a group of that size would inflict casualties on Oarai, weakening them for when the other shoe dropped and the other tanks closed in. If the first group did their job well enough, the second would finish Oarai off, so Miho carefully looked around.

The other shoe soon dropped. Far off in the distance, the other eight BC Freedom tanks advanced on Oarai's rear. Miho immediately recognized it as a pincer attack, using their greater numerical strength against Oarai, and using the terrain to head off any escape. Unless this was dealt with effectively, Oarai would not even be able to escape from the attack like they had in the previous match.

There was not enough time to escape from the encroaching enemy forces, but there was enough time to react to their approach and ensure that Oarai would be able to survive the coming assault.

"Everyone, the group of eight tanks should reach us first," Miho said. "Get into position and we should be able to take them off guard."

Miho's forces quickly got into position, with a few of her tanks behind trees and other terrain, and the others out in the open. They were waiting for the enemy

The Chi-nu emerged from its hiding spot as the tanks approached and fired, hitting the AMC 35 that had once been commanded by Fujiwara Rise, who had since graduated. The shot struck the tank in the side and disabled it.

"Yes! We got one!" Shiina said.

At the same time, Anglerfish Team fired a well-placed shot, striking a Char B1 in the front. The shot caused a large plume of smoke, but the tank did not emerge from it; as the smoke cleared, the white flag rose.

"Another enemy has been defeated," Hana said.

As she saw her allies fall, Ranko advanced toward Oarai in her AMC 35, worried about how Oarai was putting up more of a fight, but relieved that she was not going to be the first one to be disabled this time. Kei was by no means a strict commander, but she still had certain expectations of her subordinates, and Ranko had no desire to disappoint her. Ranko's teammates, who had been in the same as her since they had all entered BC Freedom's tankery team together in their first year, shared that sentiment, and strove for victory.

However, Ranko's tank shook as two shells struck it from the left- from the opposite direction that the Char B1 had been hit.

As the white flag raised on her tank, Ranko looked at the tank that had disabled her; the M3 Lee. She recalled that it had been the first tank to fall to BC Freedom's attack, without firing a shot, and she had realized that its crew had abandoned it.

_"Are they really the same girls who chickened out and ran when facing enemy fire?"_ Ranko thought. _"If the rest of Oarai has improved similarly, 15 tanks won't be enough to win."_

Ranko's crew had been together since their first year of high school, and had faced many challenges together. They had grown significantly over the years, but clearly, it was not as much as their younger opponents.

A barrage of gunfire came from the advancing BC Freedom tanks, signifying their recovery from the surprise attack. Glancing behind her, Miho saw the rest of BC Freedom closing in. She realized that while they had been able to fend off the enemy thus far, their superior numbers would overwhelm them in a direct fight.

Leopon Team blasted a Renault R35 with its powerful main gun, striking its frontal armor with such force that the frontal tracks were blown off and it was disabled. As it was no longer able to keep pace the others, a hole opened in BC Freedom's lines.

"Slip through that hole!" Miho said to the tanks, and Anglerfish Team advanced, followed by the others in single file. BC Freedom's tanks made some hastily aimed shots that fell short, trying to shoot Oarai's troops without risking hitting their own.

But not all of their shots missed their mark. A SAMUA S35, with a well-placed shot, struck Mallard Team in the side as it headed toward the vulnerable spot in the formation. The shot was enough to overcome the Char B1 Bis' armor and force it out of the match.

"I'm sorry, Saro, I couldn't make it," Gomoyo said.

"Don't be," Saro said. "Reizei-san and the others only make this look easy. I heard a good portion of the team got taken down without even putting up much of a fight in various matches in the past."

"That's hardly something we should be aiming for," Gomoyo said.

"True," Saro said. "But we do have time to improve, and this match is one of many possible learning experiences. Perhaps someday, Oarai's chances of victory my hinge on us staying in the game. For now, though, we should be thankful that the day hasn't come yet, and prepare ourselves so that we will be ready when it does."

* * *

The last of Oarai's tanks surged through the hole in BC Freedom's lines as soon as the other half of BC Freedom's forces got in range of their previous position. As BC Freedom regrouped, Oarai pulled far ahead, moving toward the road near the forest to escape more quickly.

As the column of Oarai tanks escaped, the last tank in the line threw up a smoke screen, blanketing the arena in smoke. It went out as a trail behind the tank, tracing its path, but as the smoke enveloped the BC Freedom forces, throwing them into disarray, they were unable to determine where Oarai had fled to.

But during the retreat, the Porsche Tiger sank into a large patch of soft mud, which some of the lighter and more reliable tanks had been able to pass over without any problems. The BC Freedom forces paused, firing a barrage of fire into the Porsche Tiger's side armor, a relative weak spot in the heavily armored tank.

The barrage was getting them nowhere, but as the crew struggled to escape from the mud, the engine overheated, spewing smoke into the air along with the smoke from the exploding shells. The white flag soon raised, and a casual observer would have concluded that it was the result of BC Freedom's attack.

As her teammates cursed the "piece of junk," Tsuchiya let out a sigh. It was true that she had various difficulties with the tank throughout the last academic year, to the point at which the team was not confident about their ability to field it until the final round. But what was also true was that Oarai had to work through its many disadvantages, in terms of numbers, firepower and crew experience. They would once again have to make the Porsche Tiger usable, and ensure that the three newcomers would be willing and able to do so.

* * *

Oarai exited the forest and reached a deserted road, closed to traffic for the match. As their tanks reached the flat and level ground, they picked up speed, enabling them to evade their BC Freedom pursuers, which were still winding their way through the forest after defeating the Porsche Tiger. As Oarai reached a bend in the road, they cut through the forest again, to set up an ambush spot.

The BC Freedom team sped through the road, determined to find out where Oarai had fled. They had eagerly watched Oarai's progress through the tournament, and knew Oarai's general modus operandi when faced with an overwhelming enemy force was to either retreat or strike at the flag tank. Since the annihilation rules precluded the latter tactic, it was obvious that Oarai was only willing to fight when they had an advantage that would offset their lacking the numerical advantage.

Spotting some tracks that went off the road, Kei ordered her forces forward, and, entering the forest, saw several possible ambush points. Oarai's planned tactic immediately became clear to her.

_"It seems quite like Nishizumi-san to try to ambush us," _Kei thought. _"We won't be taken in so easily this time."_

The BC Freedom forces spotted some of the Oarai tanks lying in wait and opened fire in a barrage of shells that seemed precisely aimed at Oarai's hiding spots in the woods, firing a volley of shots that blew apart the foliage.

One of those shells found its mark on the Chi-Nu bringing it to a halt and disabling it. The tank lay still, with black smoke rising from the point of impact and the white flag raised. It was a less spectacular defeat than many of Anteater Team's defeats in video games, but it was no less frustrating.

_"This sucks," _Shiina thought. _"Then again, we always knew that we can't go up against a school that outnumbers us and has defeated us before without some things going wrong."_

Oarai returned fire, though, with the blazes of guns firing through the trees making BC Freedom aware of tanks that they had not noticed before.

Hippo Team's shot struck a Renault R35 in the side, disabling it, and Sparrow Team defeated a SOMUA S35 with a shot to the rear. Explosions rang out as the shots hit their mark, and BC Freedom became aware that the advantage had once again slipped away from them.

The remaining BC Freedom tanks then began to withdraw, leaving behind their disabled comrades. They had more tanks, but they knew that, against an opponent like Oarai, they could not frivolously throw away their forces. In order to outlast their enemies, they had to make each loss count, and Oarai was felling them far more easily than they had a year before.

_"Oarai had always done surprisingly well," _Kei thought, _"but now, many of its teams are performing far better than they did before. It looks like I'll have to change tactics if I want any hope of surviving this."_

Oarai noticed BC Freedom's tactical retreat, and momentarily celebrated. It was always enjoyable to see the enemy's efforts falling flat, and them forced to retreat and react to Oarai's plans.

"The enemy is routed," Erwin said. "They are falling before us like Poland fell to the Blitzkrieg."

"This is great!" Saori said. "It's nice that we're no longer the ones running for our lives."

"It's true that we have gained the advantage for the moment," Miho said. "But I think BC Freedom's hoping to lure us to a battlefield where they have the advantage."

Miho realized that the fight had not gone out of the nine remaining BC Freedom tanks just yet, though, and they were headed toward the city to engage in urban warfare. The tactic had served Oarai well in their match with BC Freedom, as some of Oarai's team knew the streets of their town well. But they were no longer in their home port, as the "visitors" in this game, as Noriko, herself an Oarai native, would put it.

It therefore seemed obvious that the best way to stop BC Freedom from gaining the advantage was to prevent them from moving the battle, and that the best way to ensure that the battle ended in their favor was to ensure that the current status quo remained the same.

"Duck Team, Turtle Team," Miho said over the radio, "can you head off the enemy?"

"We're on it!" Noriko said.

"Yes, ma'am," Shizuru said.

Both teams sped on ahead, before turning to face the enemy.

Turtle Team fired, taking out an AMC 35, while Duck Team fired and detracked a Char B1 Bis. Ayano quickly reloaded and Shizuru fired again at the motionless enemy tank, disabling it.

Hatsuse's Char B1 took aim and fired, eliminating Duck Team, and Kei's Char B1 Bis took Turtle Team from behind, disabling them.

Two tanks had been lost, but the enemy's retreat had halted. Kei had realized that Oarai had seen through her plan, and now had to come up with yet another alternative. The chances of it working when the previous strategies had failed were slim, but this was all Kei could do, and what she owed to her team at thisjuncture.

* * *

In one of the designated areas for watching the game, Yasuko, Hisa and Mihoko watched the match. Yasuko ate a bowl of katsudon for lunch, and Hisa and Mihoko ate a small meal that Mihoko had prepared. Mihoko was renowned as an excellent cook at her alma mater, St. Gloriana, as Hisa, who had often tasted her cooking could attest. After tasting a small sample of what Hisa had made, Yasuko also had to admit that she was impressed.

"It seems things aren't going nearly as swimmingly for us as last year," Yasuko said, after chewing and swallowing some of her meal. "Not only is Oarai not nearly as amateurish as they were a year ago, but even their commander seems more responsive to our tactics."

"It seems Nishizumi-san is quite cognizant of what others are thinking," Mihoko said. "She anticipated that Arakawa-san would expect her to do something similar to last time, and, rather than fall back on a strategy that could be anticipated and used against her, adapts to her situation."

"That makes sense, Mihoko," Hisa said. "Essentially, if you can think of a tactic, you can imagine it being used against you. Miho has a good head for what strategies other schools use."

"The same is true for her competition, of course," Yasuko said. "Other schools are cognizant of the ways Oarai overcomes its disadvantages, and are preparing countermeasures accordingly. Kei might have been unable to succeed with this tactic, but she still has the advantage of numbers, and her bag of tricks isn't empty just yet."

"That's true," Hisa said. "Of course, Miho knows quite well that tankery matches don't end until all the tanks you need to take out are out of the game. That's why Miho can persist in the face of many setbacks, and why she doesn't count her enemy out when they suffer some of their own."

* * *

The crew of one of BC Freedom's tanks, a SOMUA S35, scanned the forest for any sign of the enemy. Their crew hoped to find and defeat the enemy before they were seen and fired on, knowing that their tank's armor would most likely not stand up to any of the Oarai tanks except for the Type 89.

They noticed the barrel of the StuG, pointing out from a hastily applied layer of camouflage that resembled a large patch of shrubbery, too late. They were halted in their tracks as a shell struck them in the side, and as they futilely tried to turn the turret to take out the enemy, they realized they had been disabled.

Kei heard the casualty report over the radio, making note of where they were- very close to her current location.

_"It seems you're better suited to the environment this time," _Kei thought. _"But I learned from Rise-san's defeat, and you won't get the advantage of surprise again."_

Kei's Char B1 Bis circled around Hippo Team, who, realizing they had been discovered, attempted to flee. But Kei had prepared, and her gunner and loader were already taking aim at a vulnerable spot at the back of the StuG. The shot through the trees was difficult, but Kei's gunner, Tsuiki Moko, had a knack for hitting difficult shots that few others would take.

A shell sailed through the trees, striking the StuG, and taking it out of the game.

Shortly thereafter, Kei heard reports of another AMC 35 being eliminated by the Tas.

"All tanks, form up on me," Kei said. "We're making our last stand against Oarai Academy."

* * *

The battle soon spilled into a clearing off the road. Their initial plan having failed and their secondary plan having been thwarted, BC Freedom was now being forced to play it by ear in desperate hopes of defeating her enemies.

A Renault R35 emerged from the tree line and was picked off by Anglerfish Team, with Rabbit Team doing the same to an AMC 35. A Char B1 got a shot on the Panzer IV's Shurzen, but Sparrow Team fired, delivering a heavy blow to their weak side armor and succeeding where they had failed.

"We're doing better than last time," Mutsuki said. "Two kills and we're still in the game."

Kaori confidently nodded, as she operated the radio to inform the others of their kill. Over time, using her radio had become second nature to her, and nowhere was it more apparent than in this match, now that they were facing their first real opponent again.

Hatsuse ordered her tank to advance toward the Tas, trying to exploit any vulnerability she could.

Her mind briefly flashed back to how she had reacted when Ako, her friend and her schoolmate from middle school, had told her of her intentions to go to Saunders. Hatsuse, less than confident in her tankery skills, had believed she had no chance of getting onto a regular position on a strong team, and so chose a weaker one, forgoing all hopes of being able to win or get very far in the tournament.

But she had persisted, tried hard for her school's sake and done better than she had expected, getting Kei's notice and an offer to become her vice-captain. BC Freedom had not won the tournament or even advanced past the first round, but the school that had was one that had lost to them, and was unable to field the maximum amount of tanks at any point in the tournament. Hatsuse realized that even if her abilities were limited, she still had to try as hard as she could.

But Nodoka and her crew had a similar resolve in mind, having chosen to bring their humble school as far as they could. So while Hatsuse was circling around her, Saki was drawing a bead on her, and fired just before Hatsuse could outpace her. The shot struck Hatsuse's tank in the side, toward the back, sending it skidding and tearing the tracks off. It was obvious before the white flag raised that it was no longer in the game.

"Char B1 neutralized, Nodoka-chan," Saki said with a smile. It had been a long time since she had learned the truth behind Oarai's participation in the last tournament, and she had more recently learned about the ongoing struggle for the tankery team to maintain itself for years to come. But she was in one of those modes when none of that mattered to her, enabling her to do her best and have the most fun. She had accomplished what she had set out to do in the process, and started to enjoy tankery, so she did her best so that future generations of students could also.

Nodoka, having heard about Saki's sentiments before, nodded in approval.

"Good work, Saki," Nodoka said. "There's just one left, Miho-senpai."

"All right," Miho said. "Everyone, surround and take down the remaining Char B1 Bis, but be careful; BC Freedom hasn't given up yet."

* * *

Kei, facing Oarai's four remaining tanks, realized she was in a situation not unlike what Miho had been in a year ago. Most would conclude that she was hopelessly outnumbered, and write her off as a lost cause. But she still had the means by which she could win, and the will to turn a certain defeat into an unlikely victory.

_"It seems you won't be taken off guard so easily, Nishizumi-san," _she thought. _"That makes sense; you were the one who taught me about persisting when all seems lost."_

As her tank rushed forward, Kei's crew quickly fired at the Panzer IV with the turret gun, causing a loud clang and an explosion. While the shot inflicted a glancing blow on the Schurzen, it failed to disable or significantly damage the tank.

As Kei tried to rotate her tank to attack with the 47mm gun, four shells, from Anglerfish, Octopus, Rabbit and Sparrow Team, struck her Char B1 Bis at once, resulting in a cacophony of explosions and four fiery blazes. Her tank, charred and burning in a few places, emitted smoke from its engines and threw up the white flag.

"Oarai wins the match!" the announcer said.

Kei sat in her tank, pondering the result for a moment. She had anticipated the possibility of defeat, but she had hoped to do more against Oarai before she was vanquished than she had. Losing to Oarai was no longer a humiliating failure, but BC Freedom had the advantage of numbers, so Kei had imagined herself to be a reasonable match for them.

But in the end, her defeating Oarai, however narrowly, had been their impetus to get better, and BC Freedom had also improved after only barely defeating an underdog. Perhaps the same would happen this year, and both teams would continue to develop and strengthen their teams.

_"You've never been one to let failure get you down, Nishizumi-san,"_ Kei thought. _"Should we meet in the tournament, you will learn that the same goes for me."__  
_

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I'd like to thank Stalker117 and KMT4ever for beta reading this.

I had a few reasons for wanting Oarai to fight BC Freedom again; to give them a second chance to succeed where they failed, allow both sides to use their prior knowledge of the other to their advantage, and to show how far Oarai has come since the previous year.

Of course, the battlefield is different, resulting in different tactics being used by both sides, even if BC Freedo mbreifly gets the idea of turning Oarai's previous tactics against them, once they're sufficiently desperate.


	7. On Another Difficult Journey

**Chapter 6: On Another Difficult Journey  
**

After Oarai's victory, they an BC Freedom came together once again near where they had met before the match. The teams bowed to each other, and Miho and Kei shook hands while exchanging congratulations.

Yasuko approached the assembled Oarai tankers, along with Hisa, having an expression that was warmer than it had been at this point a year ago. She realized she was no longer looking a team foolhardily plunging into a competition they could not win, but at a group of tankers prepared to face the odds against them, and quite possibly overcome them again.

"Congratulations on your victory," Yasuko said to the Oarai tankers. "Winning despite being outnumbered three to two is not an easy victory by any means, and few people can do it with any regularity. Of course, this is more or less common for you, and a disadvantage you will have to overcome in the future, even if continuing to do so is by no means easy."

"I appreciate this, Coach Fujita," Miho said. "But why exactly do you think so?"

Yasuko paused to consider what she had to say. Miho's tone indicated that she was at least partly aware of what they were up against, which struck her as a far cry from Hisa's colleagues on the student council, so Yasuko hoped to give her an informative answer that would help her better understand what she was facing.

"To be honest," Yasuko said, "it may be difficult to accomplish again what you did last year. You will still be outnumbered in the semifinals and finals, and many of your opponents in the first two rounds have tanks that are of better quality. And people are no longer underestimating you, since the possibility of losing to an opponent that seems to be at this much of a disadvantage is no longer something they can assume will never happen. Perhaps it did take a good amount of luck to win the tournament, but luck isn't all there is to you. In the end, the result matters most of all, so your victories in the past are a better indicator of what you can do than the kind of tanks or prior experience that you have."

Kei nodded approvingly.

"The coach doesn't usually give this positive an assessment of a team's performance," Kei said. "You've earned her respect, just as you earned mine last year."

"Yes, you have," Yasuko said. "I talked with Hisa last year. and I realized that she wasn't deterred by the odds. Perhaps what was at stake was relevant in hindsight, but it wasn't the entire story."

"You could say that," Hisa said. "The truth is that, regardless of whether the school was on the line, I was glad to get back into tankery and do it along with my friends again."

"Moreover, I may have said that it will be difficult for you to win this time, but I won't say that it's impossible," Yasuko said. "You've proven that you could do it before, and I realized before long that I was overly hasty to judge you. I can't say with absolute certainty that you'll win again, but I certainly won't count you out."

"The same goes for us, too," Kei said. "And I do hope to meet you all in the tournament, even if the result is no different than this time."

Miho smiled and nodded. To her, this was the most pleasant part of tankery; fighting together with her friends, against rivals who respected them and shared their passions. She hoped to never lose sight of what she enjoyed about it in the tournament ahead, even as she worked to ensure that future Oarai students would be able to share these joys.

* * *

Miho met with Kei after the meeting ended. The rest of Anglerfish Team stood off in the distance, waiting for Miho to finish asking a question that had been at the back of her mind since the previous match with BC Freedom before the five girls went shopping together.

"Do you have a minute, Arakawa-san?" Miho said. "I have something I'd like to ask you about your school."

"Go ahead, Nishizumi-san," Kei said.

"It's something I've been thinking about throughout all of last year," Miho said. "You seem like a person who would get a spot on a more prestigious team, even if you didn't necessarily become commander, so why stick with a school like BC Freedom?"

"Funny you should ask that, Nishizumi-san," Kei said. "I still remember you from when you were vice-captain at Black Forest."

"It's a bit of a long story," Miho said. "The short answer is that Oarai is a better fit for me as a person and as a tanker. That's why I'm curious what about BC Freedom fits you better."

"Good question," Kei said. "I went to middle school at Stars and Stripes. It was a good team, but it was large and somewhat anonymous. I managed to get a regular position, but I can count on one hand the number of people I knew who were on the team, but weren't part of my crew or fellow commanders."

What Kei was saying sounded familiar to Miho, but it did not remind her of the American-themed high school, Saunders. Saunders' team was perhaps even larger than Stars and Stripes', but Kay, the former commander, was lively and exuberant, able to talk to virtually everyone as though she had been friends with them for a long time.

"That sounds a little like my old school," Miho said. "Of course, apart from my sister, I knew some of the people there and had some friends."

Kei nodded, having heard the story about the events leading up to Miho's departure from the school.

"This isn't to say that there aren't downsides to this school," Kei said. "BC Freedom isn't as well equipped, trained or motivated as Stars and Stripes, at least when you compare it to others of its level. BC Freedom would probably beat Stars and Stripes, as well as most of the others on the middle school level, even if there are few high schools we stand a chance against. In spite of that, it's genuinely fun being around these girls, and I find myself relating to them more easily than I did with my teammates at my old school."

"That's good to hear," Miho said. "But do you ever worry that BC Freedom won't stay the way it is in the future?"

"Sometimes," Kei said. "But since I'm graduating at the end of the year, I think about those things a great deal. You might have heard this before, but our school used to be two schools- BC and Freedom Academies. I've done my best to do right by each of the sides, but not everyone shares my sentiments, and I fear that if someone who thinks of their half ahead of our school takes command, our team will stop working together well."

Miho nodded. Her team had little in common, but there were no outright rivalries or bad blood. Sodoko had proved somewhat disagreeable in her overzealous enforcement of the rules, but because she had little actual power, the others thought of her as an annoyance at worst, and while she disliked their behavior, she did not take it personally. From her own experience, and what she had heard about BC Freedom, she had some appreciation of the difficulty of Kei's task.

"I know what you're talking about," Miho said. "It can be a difficult task to keep a team together, so even if our schools are rivals, I'll be rooting for your successor's success in that undertaking."

"Thank you, Nishizumi-san," Kei said. "But going back to your question, I'd like to ask it to you. Is your mind on the future, as well?"

"You could say that," Miho said. "Last year, we were fighting so that our school could remain open. This year, I'm hoping to keep the tankery team around for the long term."

"That makes sense," Kei said. "Of course, while this is a goal worth trying hard for, you shouldn't lose sight of what people value about Oarai's team or why it can win. Perhaps my school has different standards of success than yours, but if you keep that in mind, the rest should largely take care of itself."

"I see," Miho said. "Perhaps that will work in the future."

Miho glanced to see her friends. Having heard what she needed to hear, and not wanting to keep them waiting, she decided to conclude her conversation with Kei."

"It was nice talking with you, Arakawa-san," Miho said.

"Kei, please, Miho-san," Kei said.

"I'll see you again, Kei-san," Miho said, before leaving.

Miho understood that the Student Council's essential goals, shared by the Kadotani and Mikado administrations in spite of their differences, were essentially the same. They wanted to keep Oarai running and ensure that it continued to be a good school, which were separate but related goals. Miho had a similar goal in mind for the tankery team, to ensure that it was both fun and successful, and she believed that if she succeeded on those regards, she could help the student council achieve their goals of helping Oarai Academy in the long term, just as she had helped their predecessors save the school.

* * *

Since the ship was in port, the Oarai girls had some time to explore the city before they headed back. They did so on a more celebratory note than before, having won the match that they had lost the previous year, and were eager to see more of Osaka. The BC Freedom girls, in high spirits despite their loss, visited the city that some of them called their home town.

As BC Freedom and Oarai went their separate ways, Hisa met with Shizuru in a tankery hobby store, while Ayano browsed in the back of the store. Shizuru had encouraged Natsumi and Shiina to go off on their own, wanting to give the two old friends some time alone, and fearing that her presence, as their direct superior, would put a damper on their enjoyment. The two of them had accepted Shizuru's explanation for her absence, albeit with a note of disappointment as they replied with a "Yes, ma'am."

"So how have things been going for you, Mikado-san?" Hisa said. "I recall hearing that you're not just the new president, but also the new commander of Turtle Team. When I told Anzu about this, she became quite interested in hearing more about how you were doing."

"According to the commander, I've been doing surprisingly well at tankery, Takei-senpai," Shizuru said, "although I do sometimes find it difficult to fill your and the rest of our predecessors' shoes."

"Well, we did come a long way from where we first started in the tournament," Hisa said. "Yasuko told me that of all the seven initial teams, only three were anywhere close to pulling their weight. Momo couldn't hit a shot to save her life- literally, to some extent, since it gave Arakawa-san the opportunity to defeat her. Rabbit Team fled from their tank in the middle of the battle. Hippo Team's bright paint job and decorative flags nullified some of their tank's advantages. And, of course, Duck Team had trouble making the most of its tank."

Shizuru sighed, and paused, at a loss for words. She was not satisfied with Hippo Team's performance as it was, but she realized that it had never been this bad.

"Few of those sound like average rookie mistakes," Shizuru said. "I must say that I am surprised that Oarai has come so far."

"Well, this not only gave them experience in actual battle, but it also gave them some idea of what the competition was like," Hisa said. "As such, it was a failure that inspired us to improve and win in the future."

"I understand," Shizuru said. "We, particularly the weaker performers in practice, have been working on honing our skills and learning from our mistakes. But I am curious about one part of this 'motivation.' Did you really dance the Anglerfish dance, Takei-senpai?"

"Indeed, Mikado-san," Hisa said. "The president's logic was that we shared victory and defeat, which is why she had Miho dance it as punishment for losing it, with her friends joining in out of solidarity. The four of us on the student council, however, believed that we couldn't make Miho bear the consequences of defeat without joining in, too."

Shizuru nodded. Since Turtle Team's blunders had greatly hindered Oarai at crucial moments, it seemed only fair that they should take responsibility. Of course, others shared the responsibility for the defeat, and possibly deserved the same punishment.

"So... what about the rest of those who got taken out?" Shizuru said. "Did they have to dance it, too?"

Hisa shook her head.

"Originally, it was something that Anzu used to motivate Miho," Hisa said. "We were hesitant to reveal the truth about our school being on the line to Miho, so she decided on something that would get her motivated, but not put too much pressure on Miho. Anzu hoped to get Miho to take this seriously without buckling under the pressure."

Shizuru paused, trying to find a away to tactfully express her disagreement.

"I see what you mean," Shizuru said. "But was that really the best way? One could say that Kadotani-senpai was simply bullying Nishizumi-san into compliance merely because she did not have the courage to publicly disclose an uncomfortable truth."

Hisa sighed. The previous student council had its share of disagreements and internal debate, and in this case, she and Yuzu had opposed pressganging Miho into joining. In spite of the fact that she found it difficult to argue in favor of a decision she did not support, she felt as though Shizuru still did not fully understand what her predecessors were up against, and so endeavored to enlighten her.

"Honestly, I can't say for certain," Hisa said without hesitation. "The entire time we were fighting to save the school, we were practically blindly thrusting ourselves into a fierce competition when most of us were untested newcomers. It's a bit like betting all your chips on a single spin of the roulette, but for one thing."

"What difference are you thinking of?" Shizuru said.

"We would have lost if we'd refused to play," Hisa said, "which is why we saw no reason not to try. Very little was guaranteed back then, so while it's tempting to take our success for granted, I try not to do so. But it was a chance to stay open, a faint light of hope that prevented this from being nothing more than a year to close up. Hindsight is 20/20 after all... no offense."

Shizuru let off a soft chuckle. Having worn glasses since elementary school, she was quite used to them, so if Hisa had intended some friendly teasing, she took no offense. While serious and professional, she was by no means humorless, nor did she have the desire to come off that way.

"You raise a good point about your circumstances, senpai," Shizuru said. "In spite of that, a part of me wondered whether you should simply have been honest, informing students of what was coming and allowing them a year to plan their futures should the worst happen. After all, all of you would be graduating at the end of the year, barring any unforeseen developments, so the outcome of the tournament last year would not have affected you."

"True," Hisa said. "We did debate this issue, but Anzu decided in the end that if we announced it in advance, too many people would have jumped ship, so to speak, to keep the school afloat for the rest of us." As Hisa paused, Shizuru shrugged noncommittally, considering the point. "On the other hand, Mikado-san, perhaps you could think of this another way. Momo said that we could leave things as they were, without risking anything, but she wanted to be able to keep the school open for future generations, or, failing that, leave without regrets. Momo may be impulsive and not especially bright, but she understood what we had to do here, and no one was more committed to doing it than she was."

Shizuru paused thoughtfully. The fact that the Kadotani administration had more internal debate than she thought was an interesting point to consider, but it was beside the point for now. Her predecessors all had the same goal in mind, one that Shizuru and her colleagues shared as well.

"I suppose that choosing to save this school matters most, even if I disagree with how you chose to do it," Shizuru said. "In the end, because you succeeded, we stayed open, even if the efforts to keep the school open are far from over."

"I know," Hisa said. "I do wish I could do more, but I realize the effort is one that I'll have to entrust to you, not unlike how you will have to do so with your successors when you graduate at the end of this year."

Shizuru nodded. She did not believe Hisa spoke for the Kadotani administration, but found herself agreeing with what she heard. Perhaps she could draw some insights from what her predecessors said and did, because even if she did not always agree with them and her circumstances were different, she and her colleagues now had their senpais' positions and responsibilities. Until the day when they graduated, Oarai Academy was in their hands, and it was up to them to run their school well.

* * *

Duck Team stopped at a sporting goods store and looked at the volleyball related goods.

"Wow, this is quite a selection," Noriko said. "This store's a lot bigger than any sports store we have in Oarai."

"There's another one like this at the next bus stop," Shinobu said. "If we get in line now, we should be able to make it over in time to do some browsing."

"Ah, yeah, that one," Noriko said, having researched the city while preparing for the possibility of an urban battle. "I was actually hoping to stop by the tankery club next door."

"I agree completely, captain," Akebi said. "It's fun doing things with the four of us, whether shopping, volleyball or tankery."

"We're no longer just doing volleyball," Taeko said. "We're also passionate about tankery. I'd certainly like the volleyball club to come back, but it'd be a bummer if we had to stop doing tankery."

"Yeah," Noriko said. "Of course, I won't have to deal with this, since I'll be graduating."

The conversation ground to a halt. One of the reasons why Duck Team enjoyed tankery as much as they did was because they could do it as a team. Soon, their leader, their friend and the one who had inspired them to accept the former student council's offer to do tankery, would be gone, and they had to wonder where their volleyball team or Duck Team would stand then.

But Duck Team was nothing if not determined, and their resolve soon was revived. They saw the closure of their club as a challenge to get it restarted again, the Type 89 as a potential tactical asset, and the previous tournament as one in which an underdog could prevail. Where there was a will, there was a way, and they would find a way to persist onward, no matter what the future held in store.

* * *

As Saki and Nodoka looked in a local bookstore, along with the rest of Octopus Team and Maho, they marveled at the selection of tankery-related books, some of which they could not find on their school ship or in their home port.

"That was fun," Saki said. "It's nice to face off against another school in a match with nothing on the line."

"I agree, Saki," Nodoka said. "When it comes down to it, days like today- doing tankery together with my friends- were why I wanted to stay at this school."

"The same goes for me, Nodoka-chan," Saki said. "Days like today bring back good memories about tankery."

Nodoka paused, but her mood soon turned somber.

"Of course, I know that things won't be going on like this forever," Nodoka said. "We'll be entering the tournament again soon, and will have to take those matches seriously. Granted, we succeeded last year, but the odds are not in our favor, as Coach Fujita said."

Saki nodded.

"But that's not all there is, is it, Nodoka-chan?" Saki said. "The odds of success have never deterred you."

"Quite right, Saki," Nodoka said. "I suppose that's a minor concern compared to what the future holds for all of us. We don't know how long Oarai Academy will remain open, but one thing is certain; we'll be going our separate ways at the end of this year, next year, or the year after that."

"But you were able to meet your friends again, Nodoka-chan," Saki said. "And I was able to reconcile with my sister. Both of them were goals we didn't know whether we'd accomplish, and only had one chance to do so, but we ultimately succeeded"

"True," Nodoka said, "even if Yuu-san is now at university, along with your sister. I honestly hope to become a professional tanker in the future, but I'm not certain how many of my friends can keep up, or if we'll end up in the same place. You and Hisa-senpai will almost certainly do well, and I'm fairly confident in my old friends, Yuuki and Someya-senpai, but I'm less certain about others, such as Maho-chan and Hanada-senpai."

Nodoka thought back to her father's opposition to her doing tankery and an ultimatum. Perhaps he did have a point to some degree, although she believed that she deserved to keep doing tankery, and have a shot at doing it professionally. And while she had succeeded in persuading him by winning the tournament, she realized that there were some problems that could not be solved by skill alone.

Saki laid a comforting hand on Nodoka's shoulder. Nodoka had always been by her when she doubted herself, so the least she could do was return the favor, now that they were on another difficult journey through the tournament together.

"I can't say we can predict the future, Nodoka-chan, much less make it go the way we want," Saki said. "But we can savor the present and do what we can. I'm sure the rest of our friends are trying hard in their own way."

Nodoka nodded, reassured. Upon recognizing their teammates, Mako and Yuuki browsing nearby, with Maho and Hiroko elsewhere in the store, Nodoka decided to drop the subject. She was satisfied for the answer for the moment, and decided to enjoy the rest of her time in town with her friends, just like she hoped to enjoy the rest of high school with them. She would be hard at work planning for the future, but she would still enjoy the present.

* * *

As the groups returned to the ship that would take them back to Oarai Academy, Natsumi and Shiina, who had decided to go out with each other, independent of their respective teams, returned in advance of the others.

"You're remarkably early, Fujino-san, Teradaira-san," Saro said as she took attendance. "Might you have returned early to keep me company?"

Shiina laughed and Natsumi chuckled softly, but to Saro's surprise, Shiina nodded.

"You know, that's actually it," Shiina said. "I've been curious about something, Saro- what makes a 'good girl' like you choose a sport like tankery?"

"You mean that it isn't a perfectly respectable activity?" Saro said. "The girls of St. Gloriana are both quintessential ladies and exceptionally skilled among the high school-level tankers in this country."

Natsumi nodded. Her parents had considered sending her to St. Gloriana, but were unable to afford the tuition.

"Well, there's one of two possibilities," Shiina said. "The first is that you were forced into it, but since you didn't show up for the first day, that's unlikely. The second is that you managed to somehow convince your parents to let you do it."

"You're rather perceptive," Saro said. "What gives you such insights?"

"Natsumi did," Shiina said, gesturing at her long-time friend to prompt her to elaborate.

"For a long time, I've been forced to conform to the expectations of my parents and other people, acting in a way that's appropriately respectful," Natsumi said. "Both Shiina and I were interested in tankery, but couldn't get involved with it except for under the pretext of it being part of our student council duties."

Saro let off a soft sigh of disappointment, realizing that Natsumi's cheerful smile, her pleasant demeanor, and even her politely calling her "Hirose-san" while on the job, were all parts of a facade that she adopted when she had to and discarded when it was no longer useful. But she also realized that they understood her, in particular where she was coming from.

"You're right," Saro said. "And the same is true to me, to some degree. My cousin Sumire got me interested in tankery, but my parents forbade me from doing it." As Sumire paused to let the point sink in, Natsumi and Shiina nodded, since it sounded quite familiar to her. "But you're wrong if you think that I'm head of the disciplinary committee because my parents want me to be, or as a way of becoming Mallard Team's commander. Both the disciplinary committee and tankery are fulfilling pursuits to me on their own, even if I do not have Sodoko's zeal for the former or Akiyama-san's enthusiasm for the latter."

"I get what you're saying," Shiina said. "As far as my work for the student council goes, it's not that I hate it, but..."

Shiina stopped short, realizing that she was having trouble coming up with an answer. It was no longer so simple for her to say why she did not find student council work appealing as it was before she joined... or perhaps she had never understood why she had been reluctant to join. Natsumi remained silent, choosing not to answer.

Saro simply nodded. She remembered Shiina's attitude as one she herself had once possessed, and so chose to give her the same answer she might give to her younger self.

"In short, I'd say that you should do your best on the student council, not because your parents expect you to do it, or because President Mikado orders you to do so," Saro said. "You should do it because it's the right and most fulfilling thing to do."

"I will," Shiina said. "Thanks, Saro."

The two members of the student council parted from the head of the disciplinary committee and began milling about the boat. Within minutes, Anglerfish Team was the first of the others to return to the boat.

Natsumi, idly wandering around, noticed Hana briefly stop to chat with Saro. She immediately recognized it as the sort of pleasantries that had been drilled into her. She also remembered using those lines on Saro once before, only for Saro to, with some annoyance, tell her to drop the act. From that point on, Natsumi had started speaking to Saro more informally, including using her nickname instead of her last name, and dropping the "-san" completely.

But Saro seemed more open to Hana's politeness, and Natsumi had to wonder what the difference was. Perhaps Hana was not reading off a script like Natsumi had been, whether because she was a better actor than Natsumi was, or she wasn't acting at all.

Natsumi hoped to meet with Hana and find out what the difference between them was.

* * *

Soon afterward, Sparrow Team boarded the ship. As they did so, the team members checked their cell phones, as they had texted their former commander and driver about their victory soon after the match had ended.

"I got a response from Yumi," Momo said. "She's glad to hear that we won today, and was impressed with the role we played in it."

"Satomi-chan felt the same way," Kaori said, "even if she, the optimist that she is, always knew we could do it."

"Yeah," Mutsuki said. "As a team, we're certainly doing better than last year. I'll do my best to keep up with everyone else."

"I've been thinking~su," Momo said. "It was around this time last year that we, as a school, doubted whether we would win at all. It was also around this time that I started wondering what the future would have in store for Yumi and for me, when she graduated at the end of the year; unless the team failed to win and we parted ways even sooner."

"Yes, I remember that too, Momoko-san," Kaori said. "I also did not expect much out of our team in the tournament. And when Satomi-chan, who's a year older than I am, went off to middle school for the first time, I was worried that we'd lose touch."

"Not all problems can be solved," Momo said. "But we do sometimes make mountains out of molehills, and falsely assume that our situation is hopeless~su."

"That sounds like good advice, Momo," Mutsuki said. "But I'd like to point out that I'm not most worried about myself this time."

"Who else would it be, President~su?" Momo said. "The commander?"

"Your friend, Isobe-san?" Kaori said.

"Not really," Mutsuki said. "The commander's a bit like me, but she's _always_ had more talent in tankery and has become more confident recently. Noriko has more confidence and guts than the entire mahjong club combined, and her team does better than most would expect from a bunch of amateurs with an awful tank. Both of them, like us, have a team they can trust and count on. The three of you and Hiroko did quite well today."

Anko smiled, touched at being considered one of those members.

"I believe that having a strong team that trusts each other is the most important, and do my best to be worthy of that trust," Anko said. "So which team do you think lacks this spirit, President?"

"Quite perceptive, Anko," Mutsuki said. "I'm thinking of a club that had to struggle with a tank that's strong but less reliable, on top of helping all the rest of us. And now they have three new members to break in. Specifically, Leopon Team."

The conversation quickly died down as the four girls realized that not only were the technical parts of the auto club's repair work beyond them, but it was never their place. This was a problem that the Auto club would have to work through on their own, even if their success or failure affected the entire team.

* * *

The last group to return to the ship was the four auto club members, which had briefly stopped in an auto shop, and browsed the bookstore for books about automobiles. Tsuchiya's purchases were different from those of the others, as she had bought a book on tank repair, another on commanding a tank, and another about leading student-run organizations. The four of them wore the school uniforms with the Panzer jackets that served as the team's tankery uniforms, changing into the white school uniforms for class and wearing the orange coveralls when working on vehicles. Taking a moment to think about how their time was divided, the newcomers realized that they had relatively little time for the latter that was not being used for the student council's benefit.

Nanami, who had chin-length light brown hair, paused at the gangplank and looked out into the city, where the sun was quickly setting.

"C'mon, Nanami," Goto, a short-haired brunette, said. "It's not like we can avoid doing the post-match repairs by staying out here forever."

"Oh, right," Nanami said. "Coming."

Rokubungi, whose dark hair was tied in a short ponytail silently nodded. They were running late, but at the rate they were going, they would not be in serious trouble. In spite of that, she found it difficult to put a positive spin on everything else. The team had been victorious, but Leopon Team could not wholeheartedly say they had helped much in the match. After the match, the team would be expecting their tanks back in working order as soon as possible.

If so much was asked of them, and they seemed so unprepared to give it, at least as far as tankery went, was there any reason for them to continue? As difficult as they found it to say yes, they also realized that resignation was not a decision to be made lightly, particularly when if they stopped working for the tankery team, they would likely have to leave the auto club as well. A part of them believed that making such a decision for such reasons would be unfair for both organizations, so they were no happier with that possible choice. In spite of their unease, they knew they had to make a decision soon, for things could not continue as they were.

Saro took their attendance, merely giving a "You're late" to acknowledge their presence. After taking their names down, Saro, with a tap on the shoulder, and silent ushering her aside, stopped Tsuchiya as her subordinates filed past her. As the three of them gave a backward glance, Tsuchiya gave a forced smile and gestured for them to go on their way.

"What's up?" Tsuchiya said. "Are you going to get on my case about my team being late?"

"As if," Saro said with a slight chuckle. "I'm no Sodoko, and you're no Reizei-san, either. I've noticed, however, that the problem isn't with your punctuality, but with your team's morale."

Tsuchiya softly sighed. She and Saro held the same rank, as crew commanders, so she hoped Saro did not think herself to be higher ranked by virtue of heading the disciplinary committee.

"Thanks for the concern, but I have apprised the commander of the situation," Tsuchiya said. "At the moment, repairs are being on time and to the team's satisfaction, so it hasn't had any concrete ramifications... yet."

"That's good," Saro said. "Just make sure that if any of your subordinates aren't willing to do what we need to, they know where the door is, so to speak."

"Perhaps that's easier for you to say," Tsuchiya said. "The disciplinary committee has over 100 members, while we have only four."

Saro nodded. She could not say the actual number of members without looking at the list, but Tsuchiya's guess, and the statement about how the disciplinary committee had people to spare, were accurate.

"And we need every one," Saro said. "In spite of this, we don't have room for those who aren't both willing and able to get the job done. If there are problems with your conduct or your performance, we'll give you a warning, and if you don't improve, you're out. If you don't want to be part of us, you know where the door is.""

Tsuchiya paused. Saro had never sounded more like Sodoko than at this point, as she was demonstrating the iron will necessary to lead a large student organization with strict rules. Was this what Tsuchiya was lacking? Or were things different for the auto club, and might the solution lie elsewhere?

"So what would you suggest that I do?" Tsuchiya said.

Saro shrugged.

"Sadly, I understand the problem a lot better than I do the solution," Saro said, "since I actually do have some idea of where your subordinates are coming from. What little I know about the solution is that it's a decision that your subordinates will have to make for themselves- do they care about the auto club and tankery team, or not?"

"I guess," Tsuchiya said. "But it's a leader's duty to inspire her subordinates, right?"

Saro nodded.

"Sodoko was the one who inspired me to take passion in my work, but now she's gone," Saro said. "The closest example I can think of, as someone who was once reluctant but became inspired, and went on to inspire others in turn, is Nishzumi-san."

Tsuchiya nodded, and decided to speak with Miho at her first convenience, hoping to find a solution to improve her clubmates' morale for their sake and the sake of the entire team. If they continued halfheartedly or resigned, no one would benefit.

Perhaps Miho would understand, since she had initially refused to do tankery, yet her decision to participate had helped save the entire school. Perhaps just as she had rediscovered her love of tankery, the other Auto Club members would come to love it.

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

While Oarai's defeat against St. Gloriana (and Oarai's equivalent loss to BC Freedom in the first Necessary to Win) was, to some degree, a way of showing them losing without getting eliminated from the tournament, it also served some nicely practical purposes. Their victory this time is proof that they have come a long way since then.

I decided to have a scene between Hisa and Shizuru to reflect some of the differences between the previous and current student councils. They will be elaborated on more later.

Next up is an Interlude focused on Oarai's clubs.

Edited to remove one case of Natsumi speaking when Shizuru should be, and to give a bit more description to the auto club, as well as fix some incorrect names.


	8. Interlude 11: Oarai's Clubs

**Interlude 11: Oarai's Clubs**

At lunch the day after the match with BC Freedom, Anglerfish Team went their separate ways to meet with some of their newer friends. That morning, Miho had received an invitation to lunch from Tsuchiya, who also wished to speak with Noriko and Mutsuki, and learned that some of her crewmates were also meeting with their friends. Miho accepted her invitation and encouraged her friends to do the same, glad that they were meeting people outside of their crew.

Miho noticed that Oarai had many separate groups of people, who were close-knit, and had more in common than just tankery. These included clubs, groups of friends with the same interests, and other people who were both close friends and effective teams. By contrast, at Black Forest and many other tankery schools, many tankery teams were assigned together based on their skills, and were not quite as close; Miho was not particularly close with her crewmates at her old school, even if she had some other friends during her time there. Miho was sad to leave her old friends behind and part ways with her sister, but she was happier at Oarai, and hoped that it would retain its identity, particularly its sense of camaraderie, in the years to come after she left.

* * *

At a long, rectangular table used for seating larger groups of students, Saori sat among Rabbit Team, which had come to rely on her for advice on love and radio operation, even if she did not know much more about either than they did.

This time, however, they discussed their friends in other teams. Yamagou Ayumi had become friends with Kataoka Yuuki, not just Utsugi Yuuki, entering her second year in the same class with the former. Karina was friends with Akebi from the volleyball team. Ono Aya had a burgeoning friendship with her fellow gunner, Miyanaga Saki, while Azusa was also getting to know Nodoka as a fellow commander. And Maruyama Saki, the enigmatic and silent loader, had been seen hanging out with Mallard Team, with the others concluding that she had wandered off on her own and mistaken them for her friends.

"It's nice to see you're all also meeting other people on the team," Saori said.

"Well, our group is somewhat loosely tied together, Saori-senpai," Azusa said, "as one of the few things we have in common is our year in school. If I may say so, our team is not entirely unlike yours."

Saori nodded. At the start of the previous year, she was friends with Mako and Hana, neither of whom were friends with each other back then, and Miho and Yukari were relatively new to the group.

"If I had to describe a unifying element, it's tankery," Saori said, "although it did bring together a lot of people with little in common, who ended up working surprisingly well together."

"True," Yuuki said. "That said, I can't help but hope that it'll bring me together with another boyfriend, and that things will work out this time."

Aya nodded. She'd drifted apart from her male friends over the course of the last year, as a result of a lack of contact and disagreements about tankery. In spite of that, she had made several other new friends who did not disapprove of her love of tankery. Since she and Saori were in different grades, they most likely would never have met if not for tankery, and Aya was glad that they did.

* * *

At a square table in the cafeteria, Mako and Hana sat with Natsumi and Shiina, with both pairs of friends sitting next to each other.

"I must say that this is quite the coincidence, Mako-san," Hana said. "I've recently become friends with Natsumi-san, but it's quite unexpected to see you and Fujino-san here as well."

"Not really," Mako said. "Natsumi and Shiina have been friends for a long time, so it's only a coincidence that we separately managed to get to know each one. I taught Natsumi some driving techniques and Shiina's in my class."

"Yeah," Shiina said. "Natsumi, I did tell you a little about how I got to know Mako, but how did you get to know Isuzu-san, apart from you two being classmates?"

"I was fascinated by how polite and ladylike Hana was," Natsumi said. "And it wasn't in the same way that I did it to curry favor with others, but it seemed quite genuine in her case."

"My mother was very strict about the value of good manners," Hana said, "because she considered good etiquette and respect for others to be very important to her. Perhaps I act the way I do in part because of her influence, but I also do because I choose to do so."

Natsumi nodded.

"Saro once told me that people tend to behave in the ways that come most naturally to them," Natsumi said, "which means that the various eccentricities of the teams are reflections of their personalities. Out of curiosity, is it true that until this around time last year, the tanks were painted all manner of bizarre colors?"

"Yes," Hana said, "although Octopus Team knew better, and plans to paint Anglerfish and Sparrow Team's tanks were overruled by the relatively cautious Yukari-san and Kajiki-senpai, respectively."

"That must have been a sight to see," Shiina said.

"Not to mention extremely garish-looking and tactically unfeasible," Mako said.

"True," Natsumi said. "But everyone here at this tankery team brings something to the table. Few of us have experience, but we have all sorts of crazy ideas that, when brought together, lead us to win unexpected victories."

Shiina nodded. She knew that unlikely individuals could be successful, as she had played through one class-based RPG with some of the classes that were deemed almost useless, including a Berserker, a Monk, a Bard, an Illusionist and a Juggler. Some parts of the game, such as those with enemies that were highly resistant to physical attacks, were quite difficult, but it was an entertaining challenge that gave her some appreciation for what unlikely individuals could bring to the table, both in the game and real life.

* * *

Elsewhere, Yukari ate with Hippo Team, which had dubbed her "Guderian" the previous year, essentially making her an honorary member in the process. The "History Club"- called that despite not being recognized by Oarai Academy- had no official prerequisites for membership, as anyone with a sufficient interest in history could be inducted and considered a member. Unfortunately for the four members and one honorary member, the club's membership remained very small, at the very minimum most clubs had in order to be able to be recognized.

"So, have any other like-minded people come to join you?" Yukari said to Erwin, whose fondness for World War II era history she shared.

"Regrettably none, Guderian," Erwin said. "Alliances are formed and broken across history, but excluding you, our honorary member, our membership has stayed at four since we first met in the lunchroom in our first year."

"I see," Yukari said. She remembered Erwin telling her about how the four of them stood out from the others in their costumes.

"Que sera, sera," Caesar said. "It's often difficult to find people who share the same passions as fervently as you do, and who would cross the Rubicon and plunge headlong into civil war alongside you. In spite of it, this group is a good size."

Erwin nodded. While she was slightly disappointed not to find any more history fanatics, she agreed that it was, in some ways, better that they remained a small group of friends who knew each other well, rather than a large and faceless collective.

"Still, for the most part, we're content if most people simply tolerate us, not saying anything out loud or trying to stop us," Oryou said. "The toothless former head of the disciplinary committee was merely an annoyance in the grand scheme of things."

"True," Saemonza said. "It's not like we're asking for- or need- the school's money to do this. We pay for our costumes, our history books and everything else out of our own pockets, while our parents simply shake their heads and sigh."

Yukari nodded in agreement. Her parents had never understood tankery, but they had allowed her to pursue her interest in it. That was enough for her, and being able to do tankery alongside Miho was a dream come true.

Of course, not everyone was so fortunate. Some needed money to be able to do the things they were passionate about. Others needed members in order to receive the school's blessing so that they could officially operate as clubs. Still others had both, but lacked the cohesion and close bonds of friendship that this small group of girls had.

* * *

Elsewhere, Miho sat with her classmates and fellow club heads.

"Have you ever wondered, Nishizumi-san," Tsuchiya began, "why the student council made tankery an elective as well as a club?"

Miho pondered the question.

"If I recall correctly," Miho said, "the main difference between them is that while electives are mandatory, clubs are not at this school. There was also some red tape associated with the tankery having to be officially registered as an elective, but that wasn't the main reason behind this designation that I thought of."

Miho recalled that students at Black Forest were required to join a club. For her, that was a non-issue as long as her mother expected her to do tankery, and when she decided to leave because of the backlash against her decision to save a member of the team at the cost of victory, she wanted to leave the school entirely.

"You got that right," Noriko said. "But for most people, even if they don't _have_ to join a club, there's usually a club out there that suits their interests, even at a school this size."

"The same can't always be said for electives," Mutsuki said, "since the selection is more limited, and more focused on those with a stamp of 'legitimacy,' for lack of a better word. Many students thus end up taking the 'least worst' of the electives, rather than one they actually _like. _I, for one, was not particularly interested in incense, but found it to be a decent enough class., nd chose it as my elective in my first year"

Miho nodded. She recalled how, when she wanted any elective _but_ tankery, she had chosen the incense elective on a whim, finding it the most relaxing and least competitive of the electives. She also remembered Mako's initial choice of calligraphy, and when Mako had been asked to explain her decision, she had shrugged and said that having worked with a pen all day at school, she did not find it very hard to do so in one more class.

"Essentially, now that I think about it," Tsuchiya said, "the Kadotani administration made tankery an elective so they would have an ample supply of recruits who didn't think too hard about what elective they wanted."

"Yeah, one thing surprised me at first about tankery," Noriko said. "In my first year on the tankery club, I was essentially given a regular spot on the team, even if it's in a tank only my friends and I could love. I heard that in a lot of other schools, you'd have to work your butt off and wait until your second or third year to even be _considered_ as a regular."

"What surprised you about this, exactly, Isobe-san?" Miho said. "This is a new club, with a high membership requirement. Even the few tanks we started out with required everyone we had in order to crew them. Essentially, it's a bit like having a volleyball team that only consists of you and your three friends."

Noriko nodded, always happy to have things explained in terms she understood. She had initially thought of shell fire as spikes and serves, but had gradually grown out of this tendency as she did tankery more.

"Yeah, I know," Noriko said. "But the reality of many sports clubs is that you do the grunt work when you first start out, and you'll eventually earn the privilege of playing as a regular. Only exceptionally talented players or members of exceptionally desperate clubs end up being the exception, and I was right about the latter."

"That's true," Miho said, "even if we didn't know how important the tankery team's efforts would be last year."

"I'm not just talking about the tankery team," Noriko said. "When I was brought on board the volleyball team my first year here, I knew that this was a small club, and we were desperately fighting against attrition."

* * *

_Two years ago_

Noriko, then a first-year, met with three of her seniors in the Volleyball Club, having recently completed the process of registering for the club. She recognized all three as the seniors who had recruited her when she took a tour of Oarai Academy.

"Welcome to the club, Isobe," Kagura, captain of the team, said. "I believe you met the others here before, so that saves us the trouble of introducing ourselves again."

"Thank you, Captain," Noriko said. "But is this really everyone here?"

"Afraid so," Kagura said. "We're just barely meeting the membership requirements this year, and next year, you'll be all that's left. We'd hoped that there would be more newcomers like you."

Noriko let off a sigh. While typically confident and determined, she still took it hard when setbacks initially occurred, and was occasionally prone to being depressed in the time between when a problem presented itself and she was able to think of a solution. The prospect of possibly being the only student left at Oarai who did volleyball was quite an unpleasant one, no matter how she chose to thnk about it.

"I'm sorry that things look so grim at the moment," Kagura said. "But things won't change if you sit around and moping. If you want to change, get out there and recruit some new people, ideally first-years who will carry on this club. Show this school the power of our guts!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Noriko said energetically and set off.

"Guts" was Noriko's favorite phrase for a variety of reasons. She believed that people's talents or resources could get them a finite distance, but that guts was a bottomless source of energy, and it was always possible to put more into it. Her senpais had not given up on reviving the club, so neither would she.

* * *

_Present day_

"At heart, I'm a person who can keep going as long as I have a goal," Noriko said. "So even the possibility of keeping the club afloat was enough to get me to give my all, and the fact that my senpais felt the same way was encouraging."

"I agree, Isobe-san," Miho said. "I've found that whenever I'm depressed or feeling unsure of myself, it always seems more bearable when i have something to do about it, and people who are willing to support me."

"Things didn't necessarily work out, though," Noriko said. "The first promising individual I found happened to already be committed to another club- and was recruiting for hers as well."

Noriko gestured toward Mutsuki.

"Noriko and I were in the same boat, back then," Mutsuki said. "In hindsight, though, it does seem a little silly for me to have been less confident about my situation, when I had significantly better odds. Unlike her, I had a pair of determined individuals- Kajiki-senpai and Kanbara-senpai- who remained for my second year."

* * *

_Two years ago_

Unbeknownst to Noriko, at the same time she was hearing about the volleyball club's need for members, Mutsuki, along with Anko, was meeting with her new fellow club members for the mahjong club.

"I see," Anko said. "I had no idea that things were this bad."

Kanbara Satomi, who had gotten her position as club president by virtue of being the only person who actively volunteered for the job, as her two senpais were uninterested in a leadership role, let out a "Wa-ha-ha!" laugh.

"It's not like we're dead yet," Satomi said. "All we need is a couple more warm bodies and we won't have to worry about being shut down next year year. And even if we do get shut down, we can go about trying to re-establish the club."

Anko privately doubted Satomi's optimism, but had no desire to openly contradict her senpai and president. For now, she decided to give the club a chance, but was not especially confident or even sure that she wanted to stay around.

"I do have an idea for something you can do for us, Tsuyama, Tanaka," Yumi said. "Perhaps the second and third years have already made up their minds about which clubs they want to get involved in, but the same can't necessarily be said for the first years. Go out there and find people who haven't chosen a club yet, and tell them about us. Perhaps you'll get some of them to try them out, and a few of them will become regular members."

Mutsuki nodded . She did not have much experience with recruiting, but could not bring herself to refuse her senpai's request.

"I'll do what I can, Kajiki-senpai," Mutsuki said, with less than absolute conviction.

Anko nodded but seemed less certain. She knew Yumi was within her rights to ask this of her, and believed that she should at least try. But the situation seemed somewhat bleak; they were a shell of a club, frantically scrambling to even keep what little they had. There seemed to be little hope of winning this battle, so Anko had to ask herself whether she could even fight.

* * *

In homeroom the next day, Mutsuki arrived early, and saw Noriko, the only other student there at the time, and one of the few whose names she was confident she remembered at this point in the year.

"Isobe Noriko-san?" Mutsuki said. "My name's Tsuyama Mutsuki, and I... wanted to talk with you about something..."

As Mutsuki ended up tripping over her words, as she wondered how to transition from introducing herself to stating her business. The only thing that she was clear on was that the former was first, and the latter was second, but she did not want to come off as someone who only spoke to Satomi for the purposes of recruiting.

"Nice to meet you, Tsuyama-san!" Noriko said. "I'm recruiting for my club; would you like to join the volleyball team?"

Mutsuki's eyes then lit up, as her confidence was revitalized for a moment. Noriko made the process of recruitment seem easy, so Mutsuki realized that it might be best to simply come out with it like Noriko just had.

"Ah, yes, that was it!" Mutsuki said. "I was hoping I could ask you to join the mahjong club, Isobe-san, but I realize that it probably wouldn't be fair to your teammates if I essentially poached you."

Noriko chuckled slightly.

"You're hard up for recruits, too?" Noriko said. "I guess we're not the only ones, then, even if I'll be the only member of the club this time next year."

"You could say so," Mutsuki said. "Although, Isobe-san, I notice that you don't seem terribly bothered by your club's situation."

"Well, it _does_ bother me that I might not have anyone with whom to share my passion in volleyball," Noriko said, her expression turning serious for a moment. "But I don't believe difficulties like mine are insurmountable. Now that I think about it, the same can be said for yours."

Mutsuki nodded in agreement.

"You're right," she said.

"Well, I do know one thing," Noriko said. "You wouldn't be out here recruiting if you didn't care. So just stick with it and maybe something good will come of it."

Mutsuki smiled. She knew that enthusiasm alone would not solve all her problems, nor would it always enable her to meet others' expectations for her, but she always thought about what Noriko had said whenever she was close to giving up. There would be some battles she would not be able to win, but she resolved that it would never be due to lack of trying.

* * *

_Present Day_

"Noriko and I became friends before long," Mutsuki said. "To some degree, I'm slightly closer with her than the senior members of my club, simply because there's no gap between leader and subordinate, or senpai and kouhai between us."

Miho nodded, fully aware of how some relationships were fundamentally equal in a variety of ways. Many of her teammates, especially those who were both her juniors in school as well as her subordinates, would never see her as anything other than Oarai's commander.

"So how did you get along with Kanbara-senpai and Kajiki-senpai?" Miho said. "How did they treat their subordinates?"

"My predecessor as president was quite laid back," Mutsuki said, "and even the typically serious Kajiki-senpai was far from the most stern or demanding leader. In spite of that, they were good at what they did, and had were confident enough to take authority. But even if they were confident, they still worried about our problems, especially when we made little progress on recruitment"

* * *

_Two years ago_

A few weeks after Noriko and Mutsuki met, Yumi called a meeting of the mahjong club to discuss their progress as they sat around a mahjong table. While Mutsuki realized that some of the club, including the senior members, were out today, she noticed that Anko had a more consistent pattern of absenteeism.

"So how have things been going on your end, Tsuyama?" Yumi said. "Do you have any progress to report?"

Mutsuki sighed, wishing that Yumi had not asked, and shook her head.

"You haven't had any luck so far?" Yumi said. "This could be bad."

"Mahjong can be played with three players, you know, Yumi-chin," Satomi said, trying to put an optimistic spin on the situation. "Even if no one comes after our senpais graduate, we'll still be able to play."

"That's true," Yumi said, "but the student council won't let a club with only three members stay around for long, so we'll have to do what we can to ensure that we go into next year with more people in the club besides those at this table.

"We may not be the only club faced with this problem," Mutsuki said. "My friend Noriko's facing a similar situation with her club, so she has some idea of how difficult it can be to recruit those who share her interest. She's very passionate about what she does, and I respect that in her, even if it's a shame it isn't mahjong."

"I have a similar friendship with Hisa," Yumi said. "Mahjong is, for her, a distant third behind tankery and her work for the student government. But Hisa's smart, competitive, and good at taking calculated risks. Perhaps in another time, another place, she might have been quite a good player..."

As Yumi trailed off, the conversation died down.

"But speaking of our friends," Yumi said. "Kanbara, have you tried talking with your friend Senoo? I recall you saying that she was coming to Oarai this year."

"Kaori said she'd consider helping us out if we're in desperate need of members, but she still finds mahjong intimidating," Satomi said.

"I'd say it qualifies as 'a desperate need' this point, but I'm not sure if Senoo would be convinced," Yumi said. "Incidentally, Tsuyama, have you seen Tanaka around?"

"Unfortunately, no, Kajiki-senpai," Mutsuki said. "She hasn't been coming to the club lately. I've seen her from time to time around the school, so I know she's still coming here, but other than that, I don't know. We're not in the same class and don't know each other well, so I don't know what's going on with her."

Yumi let off a sigh.

"She hasn't taken her name off the roster, Yumi-chin," Satomi said. "So there's a possibility that she'll come back, but even if she doesn't, she'll still be counted as a member."

"Maybe so," Yumi said. "But the club's about more than having enough members. We want it alive and vibrant, both so that it will continue to attract more people, and so that it will have a future. To that end, we're going to need those who are more reliable than Tanaka around. I'm going to redouble my efforts to find such individuals."

Satomi nodded. She believed that it was not yet a matter of her club's survival, but Kaori would not abandon her friend's club in its hour of need. She saw hope in most situations, so she believed that there were still ways for the mahjong club to ensure its survival.

* * *

_Present day_

"In spite of everything that happened, I don't think Kajiki-senpai and Kanbara-senpai were wasting their time," Mutsuki said. "What they should have done is anyone's guess, but I think most would agree that they were right to try what they did."

"Our efforts didn't bear any fruit that year, either" Noriko said. "But I don't think they were in vain, as if we'd done nothing, we'd have ended up regretting it."

"I see," Miho said. "But some people did join you later on?"

"They did," Noriko said. "Akebi, Shinobu and Taeko, three girls from their middle school's volleyball team, applied together to Oarai, and joined the team... just in time for it to get shut down. Still, they're fighting the good fight with me, and I appreciate their doing so."

"Kaori did eventually change her mind," Mutsuki said. "But we had no luck on getting anyone else, even among the incoming first-years, save for one mysterious player."

"You had a recruit without even knowing her name?" Miho said.

"We hosted online games of mahjong on our laptops, through the local area net of the school," Mutsuki said. "Naturally, only Oarai students could join those games for a variety of reasons, the most relevant being that they were the only people who could possibly join our club. We found one anonymous player, who turned out to be quite the enigma, but after that, turned out to be our newest member."

* * *

_Last year_

Satomi sat and ate lunch with Kaori on the first day back at school.

"Have you had any luck recruiting, Satomi-chan?" Kaori said.

Satomi sighed slightly. It was difficult for her to put an optimistic spin on her answer while also keeping it truthful.

"Not yet," Satomi said. "Tankery has been launched with a lot of hype, so most people's attention will probably be on that."

"What about that transfer student, Nishizumi-san?" Kaori said. "She probably hasn't heard about the advent of tankery here yet."

"Go ahead and try," Satomi said, tilting her head to the side and looking over Kaori's shoulder, behind her, "assuming you can get her attention from her two new friends."

Kaori briefly turned around, and saw Miho eating with m

"I've been thinking," Kaori said, "there are many other people who are more talented at mahjong than I am. But you care about your club a great deal, and are willing to do what it takes to save it. Because of that, I'll do what I can to help you, Satomi-chan, even if I'm not a very good player."

"You don't have to be, Kaori," Satomi said. "Yumi-chin also started out as a total newbie, and quickly got to the point at which she surpassed me. Who knows? You might just do the same, and the only way to find out is to play with us."

Kaori smiled. Perhaps Satomi's prediction was overly optimistic, but she saw that it was born out of her natural optimism and trust in her friends, so Kaori believed Satomi.

"Count me in," Kaori said.

Satomi grinned triumphantly, pleased that she would have good news for the others.

"Speaking of Yumi-chin," Satomi said, "I'm curious as to how she's doing with our other potential new recruit."

* * *

Meanwhile, Yumi had been playing a few matches online against a player known as "stealthmomo," before the year started, using the school's wireless network. The player had been good, but had declined invitations to join the club, insisting that she could not be found and logging off without elaborating.

This time, the player had logged on, and Yumi saw a familiar IP address, one that came from a classroom that she had been in during the first year.

"I think I know where to find her," Yumi said. "Tsuyama, keep her occupied. I'm going after her."

Yumi then rushed out of the room.

"Wait, senpai!" Mutsuki said. She considered bolting after Yumi, but another message from Momo stopped her in her tracks.

**stealthmomo**: Is something wrong?

**TsuyamaM**: Nothing. Shall we get started, then?

**stealthmomo:** Yes. Let's have a good game.

* * *

Meanwhile, Momo played mahjong in her classroom, using a small tablet PC. It was hardly the most private locale, but Momo's invisibility meant that peple would not be watching her, and her knowledge of that would enable her to play at her best, without being distracted.

But while Momo was not distracted by the others, her thoughts soon began to wander. After about a minute or two of pre-match pleasantries, Momo realized that Mutsuki was trying to keep her talking, but wondered to what end.

She was about to log out yet again, as she did when the subject of recruiting her came up, when the door to her classroom opened, and she saw someone she had never seen among any of the first-years.

"My name is Kajiki Yumi, third year and member of the mahjong club," Yumi said. "I want you! I want you for our club!"

Several of the first-years whispered to each other and snickered at Yumi's attempt to reach out to some unknown person. Unbeknownst to them, Yumi's call had been heard by the person she had intended for it to reach.

Momo froze, shocked by what she was hearing, as she immediately recognized the name of the person asking for her as one of those she had played against, the one who had most often asked her about joining. Perhaps it was easier for her to dismiss the offer as half-hearted when it was connected to someone she only knew online, but when that person had come to her in person to make a heartfelt plea, it resonated with Momo more easily.

No one had ever actively reached out to her this way before, and Momo realized that Yumi did not do so merely out of pity. Yumi needed her skill, and wanted her for the club, as yet another member who shared her passion for mahjong. It had taken Momo's entire life to meet someone like this, and she had no idea when the chance would come again.

Momo thus knew what she had to do. She then took Yumi's wrist in her hand, and Yumi turned towards her, their eyes meeting.

"You're a strange one~su," Momo said. "But I'll join, if you want me so badly."

Sodoko rushed in, hearing the noise.

"Kajiki-san, what are you doing in a first year classroom?" Sodoko said.

"Recruiting for the mahjong club," Yumi said. "There were some... complicating factors, but we now have a promising new member, and she now has people who value her for her skill."

"I'm not interested in hearing it," Sodoko said. "Get back up to class 3-B before I assign you detention for cutting class."

Yumi sighed, realizing that there were disadvantages to having Sodoko in the same class as her.

"Fine, Sono," Yumi said. "I'll come back with you."

But as she departed, she glanced over her shoulder at Momo, and gave a smile and a nod.

"I'll see you later," she said.

"See you later, senpai," Momo said.

* * *

In the end, Sodoko had Yumi write a letter of apology for disrupting the class and read it in front of Momo's class in homeroom the next morning, while most of the people turned in their elective registration forms. Distracted by that, Yumi had forgotten to turn in her elective form, and Momo, who hoped to choose whatever elective Yumi did, had also held off on doing it.

On the way over to the student council office at lunch, Yumi turned to Momo.

"I'm sorry about the disturbance yesterday," Yumi said.

"Not a problem~su," Momo said. "In fact, I'm glad that you went to all this trouble to find me, senpai. No one has ever done that for me before."

Yumi nodded.

"We don't have many recruits for our club," Yumi said, "so I naturally have to be aggressive in getting people to sign up. But in your case, I certainly don't want to treat you like you're invisible, but show you that you're a valued member."

Momo smiled and nodded, eagerly looking forward to spending time in the mahjong club. Before long, Yumi met with Kaori, Mutsuki and Satomi outside the Student Council office.

"Glad you could make it, Yumi-chin," Satomi said. "Unfortunately, the student council had an unscheduled meeting for some reason and they can't see us immediately."

"That's odd," Yumi said. "I can only assume that it's related to the announcement asking for Nishizumi Miho. For now, I'd like to introduce our fifth member."

The three members of the club looked blankly, and Yumi turned to her side, only to find that Momo had temporarily vanished.

"Touyoko Momoko~su," Momo said. "My friends call me Momo. It's nice to meet you all."

Momo's description of her nickname was more an invitation than a description of her experience; none of her acquaintances had ever been that familiar with her. But she was finally glad to meet others her age, and would always be grateful to the one who had sought her out.

* * *

_Present day_

"Unfortunately, the student council told us we would be shutting down," Mutsuki said. "But while we were there, they offered us something we could do- participating in the tankery team, and that's what we did."

"I know, and your efforts helped save this school," Miho said with a smile.

"True," Mutsuki said with an appreciative smile, before turning more somber. "Unfortunately, while we're up to the point at which Noriko and I met you, I'm sorry to say that neither of us have much to say about our clubs apart from our participation in the tournament. In the end, the tournament maintained the status quo at the beginning of last year; Oarai Academy is still in existence, but our clubs are not."

"I see," Miho said. "I'm sorry that our team's success didn't help you progress toward your goal at all."

"Well, no, but it did ensure that we had a school to which we could return and that we could keep trying," Mutsuki said. "Of course, we wouldn't have Kanbara-senpai and Kajiki-senpai with us, so it naturally fell on them to choose a successor as president of the club and commander of our tank. And it seems that somehow, I was chosen."

"Somehow?" Miho said. Having come from Black Forest, she knew that most clubs there had formal processes for choosing leaders. She suspected that the same was true at Oarai, and her being informally named commander by Hisa, her predecessor and later second in command, was the exception rather than the rule.

"There were only three possible members," Mutsuki said. "Kaori, my year-mate, was a newcomer to mahjong and slightly timid, so she'd have been ruled out if she hadn't declined. And Momo is a newcomer to the club and wished to stay as gunner. So I was chosen based on seniority, experience and personality, even if I didn't feel like the best choice"

"I'm surprised to hear that you think Touyoko-san would be better, Mutsuki," Noriko said. "Taeko has shared a class with Touyoko-san both this year and last year, and she notes that Touyoko-san is pretty quiet unless the teachers call on her- which they don't always remember to do."

"You might not know it, but Momo, for all her lack of presence, is actually a fairly cheerful and friendly individual," Mutsuki said. "She's also quite confident, possibly enough to be a good commander, although her skill as gunner means that she's well suited to her current position."

"I know," Miho said. "She's probably the third best in the school after Saki-san and Hana-san."

"Of course, Momo is also quite close to Kajiki-senpai, and is quite a fan of her skills," Mutsuki said. "She sees her as an excellent mahjong player, and considers her the best rookie tank commander she has seen in action. But she's also willing to give me a chance, understands that I'm learning as I go and judges me on my own merits, which is encouraging."

"That sounds nice," Tsuchiya said. "I do sometimes wish my subordinates were as confident in me."

"You're doing relatively well for a new commander, Tsuchiya-san," Miho said, "especially on a tank as difficult to use, albeit powerful, as the Porcshe Tiger."

Tsuchiya shook her head.

"The others are confident that I know what I'm doing as far as tankery goes," Tsuchiya said. "What they're concerned about is whether I can effectively lead the club and balance my commitments."

Noriko and Mutsuki looked at each other. They realized that while their former clubs had brought them together, neither of them involved any skills that were useful in tankery. While Noriko's good physical condition helped with loading shells, she found it somewhat incidental to her success, as the shells were far heavier than the volleyballs she used.

"But before we go into that," Tsuchiya said, "let's go back to how we got started in all this."

* * *

_Last year, after the first seven tanks were found_

The four members of the Auto Club who eventually formed Leopon Team were working on a vehicle when the student council came in. The four girls stopped work and turned to the student council.

"Well, if it isn't the student council," Nakajima Satoko said. "What can we help you with?"

"It's about the tankery elective," Yuzu said. "We need your help with vehicle maintenance."

"The four of us are taking the magic elective together," Hoshino Fukiko said. "Besides, Suzuki here's friends with someone who knows someone on the team, and heard that they barely had enough tanks."

"Yeah, that sounds right," Suzuki Ichiko said.

"If it's about switching classes, then you just sign this form and I can have you over to tankery quickly," Anzu said. "We need people with skill working on vehicles, and you seem to be the only ones who fit the bill."

The four girls looked at each other. Magic was the one elective that had seemed interesting to all four of them, so it had been a fairly simple process of choosing it and sticking with it since last year. But while Tsuchiya had been to a magician's show when she was younger, the others only saw magic as an elective that they could take to fulfill the requirement without taking much time away from their club. Tankery seemed like a significantly greater commitment, which turned them off at first, but when they heard about the vehicle maintenance aspect, they immediately saw it as the right fit.

"That sounds interesting," Tsuchiya said, "but are you really sure you need our skill? We've worked on cars, rather than tanks."

"Well, cars are a bit like tanks, aren't they?" Anzu said. "In any case, in the absence of a specialized tank repair crew, if anyone can help us out with vehicle maintenance, it's you girls."

Suzuki nodded, and turned to Nakajima.

"Sounds like a nice change of pace," Hoshino said.

"We're in," Nakajima said. "Everyone, you ok with that?"

"Yep!" Suzuki and Hoshino said.

"All right," Tsuchiya said. "But I will say that this does seem like a somewhat desperate measure."

"We are asking for help from many people and organizations around this school," Hisa said. "And we are making do with less than optimal equipment. But we would appreciate the help, particularly in this regard, which is crucial to our success- for all our sake."

Tsuchiya had noticed since the beginning that Oarai seemed unusually desperate to get tankery restarted, but did not have enough information to piece together why. But for the moment, she believed that what mattered was that they had need of her and her skills. Doing what she could was her duty to her club, but it also seemed like a potentially interesting opportunity

* * *

_Present day_

"At the time, I wasn't necessarily unwilling, but I mainly believed it wouldn't be right of me to say no to a request the student council had made, especially when my club leader had said yes," Tsuchiya said. "However, I did ultimately enjoy this and appreciated the chance to put my skills to use on tanks, whether repairing or piloting them."

"Ah, yes, I heard about that from Hisa-senpai before," Miho said.

"If I recall correctly, Nishizumi-san, you were there during some of our attempts to get the Porsche Tiger running, and when we joined as Leopon Team," Tsuchiya said. "Supposedly, it's a tank that only those who are passionate about tank maintenance could love, but we put it to good use."

Miho nodded in agreement. Despite not having Yukari or Someya Mako's encyclopedic knowledge of tanks, she was well versed in the capabilities of tanks. The Porsche Tiger had been considered impractical for battle, so the auto club's ability to use it effectively was nothing short of an amazing feat. They had set the bar high, and their successors would be hard-pressed to meet their standards.

"So, I'm just curious, but what's different this year?" Noriko said. "Some of my new recruits aren't interested in tankery, but the group of four that I have already is still willing to do it."

"I'm not so lucky," Tsuchiya said. "Since all three of my teammates were third-years last year, they had to be replaced, including our club president, Nakajima-senpai. Their replacements weren't there when we made the promise to the former student council, but they still feel bound by it anyway."

Mutsuki nodded, having some idea of what she meant. She was reading a fantasy novel about a boy who had inherited a blood oath from his family to find and slay a demon that one of their ancestors had summoned, and was initially reluctant to devote or risk his life to the undertaking. Tsuchiya's kouhais' task was smaller, but could she fault them for not liking it being foisted on them as part of their membership in the auto club?

* * *

_Earlier this year_

After the first practice battle, the Auto Club got to work on repairing the tanks. At first glance, the extent of the damage had seemed intimidating to the newcomers, but with Tsuchiya's reassurance that she and her senpais had dealt with bigger jobs all the time, the other three had gotten to work. Unfortunately, their initial impression only seemed to be reinforced as progress was slow.

"For a practice battle, the damage on these tanks seems real enough," Goto said gloomily. "All except one were disabled, and the damage on some of them does make it seem as though they'd be inoperable even without the system."

"It can't be helped," Tsuchiya said. "The tanks are fitted with carbon lining to protect us, but the shells do their damage, and that's a large part of the point of a game. When the tanks are ruled inoperable by the system, it's meant to be equivalent to being destroyed in real life."

"But this is quite a harsh deadline, Tsuchiya-senpai," Nanami said. "And it seems like it's outside of the scope of our club's responsibilities to help out a club without getting anything in return."

"We're also part of the tankery team," Tsuchiya said. "And this is a vitally important job to keep that club going, and in fighting shape against its foes. The practice matches will be essential when we go up against our opponents in the tournament."

"I guess," Rokubungi said, less than fully convinced. "But how long will it be before that's all we're doing? Before the Student Council cuts all our funding except for what we need to repair the tankery club's tanks?"

Tsuchiya sighed. She realized she was talking past their concerns, which she, to some degree, shared herself. Given her new responsibilities as commander, which meant that she could no longer drive the tank and had to inspire her subordinates even though she barely knew how to direct them in battle, it was difficult to be enthusiastic as she was at the best of times. However, she also realized that the team was dependent on their help, both as tankers and as mechanics, so they had to do their part, regardless of how much they liked doing so.

"I honestly don't know," Tsuchiya said. "I'll talk to the commander and let her know our concerns."

"Thanks," Nanami said.

"I do understand where you're coming from," Tsuchiya said. "Perhaps if I'd joined when you did, I would be thinking of this arrangement the same way you are. It's possible that it won't change over time, but your enjoyment of it might."

The others simply nodded, before leaving with a "See you tomorrow, senpai."Tsuchiya realized that it was perhaps too much to ask them to understand this immediately, but was grateful that she could count on them for the time being.

* * *

_Present day_

"So far, nobody's left and everyone is still doing their jobs," Tsuchiya said. "They still seem worried about where the club might go in the future, but they're gradually starting to tolerate it as it is now. Perhaps the status quo is less than desirable, but they can live with it as long as the club remains."

Miho paused to consider Tsuchiya's assessment for a moment. Was this the most she could ask of the Auto Club? It seemed to be overly depressing a prospect, but then she had to wonder; did they have to think of it that way?

"Now that I think about it, it seems to be a matter of perspective," Miho said. "Isobe-san and Tsuyama-san seem to have things they can do to improve their situations, whereas the Auto Club can only hope that things don't get worse for them. And without a cause like saving the school that everyone can rally behind, people will naturally start thinking of their own interests."

"Morale is an important factor for any organization," Mutsuki said. "When the mahjong club seemed to be going nowhere, we lost some of our less committed members- Anko was actually the one who stuck around the longest. In spite of this attrition, the hope of getting back together is what kept the remaining members going."

"Same here," Noriko said.

"So maybe that's one thing that you have that we don't," Tsuchiya said. "The only solution that anyone has ever proposed is to cut ties with the tankery team, and the person who proposed it immediately felt guilty about the prospect of leaving you all in the lurch."

"So they do know how important their help is to the tankery team," Miho said. "I'd like them to understand that we appreciate their effort, and for them to do it because they want to, rather than out of a sense of obligation."

"I agree, Nishizumi-san," Tsuchiya said. "I suppose that the optimal solution would be for them to understand what they're getting out of this."

"That might work," Miho said. "Incidentally, have you ever heard the story of 'stone soup', Tsuchiya-san?"

"Yep," Tsuchiya said. "A soldier asks villagers for food and they say no, since they're supposedly short on food. But he finds an ordinary rock and a pot, gets them to contribute to a 'stone soup,' and they create a soup that feeds the entire village as well as its guest."

"That's it, but there are a few different tellings and interpretations, which Hisa found out when she shared it with Darjeeling-san and Fukuji-san," Miho said. "Darjeeling-san offered an interpretation some would consider pragmatic and others would consider cynical, saying that people preferred to take part in something that was already established, and when they're confident they can profit from their contributions."

"Perhaps she has a point," Mutsuki said. "My father's a stockbroker, so he knows how people tend to invest in ones that they know will succeed, or that will pay off enough to justify the risk. Personally, I know that it's a difficult sell getting people to join a dead club, just like it's difficult to get them to contribute to an empty pot. Whatever prospective recruits are hoping to get out of joining that club, they're unlikely to get it if we're focusing all our efforts on getting reinstated."

"I can't argue with that, Tsuyama-san," Miho said, "but I know Fukuji-san, whose father established a successful business with good working conditions, disagrees. She said that it's a matter of people being able to achieve together what they could not have achieved alone, and success being shared by everyone who contributes. Fukuji-san leads for the sake of her subordinates. And it's because of you three and everyone else that we're able to succeed."

"You're right, Nishizumi-san," Mutsuki said. "I can only operate my tank by cooperating with Momo, Kaori, Anko and Hiroko. The five of us can only win battles by fighting alongside everyone else. I suppose what I'm saying is that I sometimes feel as though, without a club around, I don't even have the pot to put my stone and everyone else's ingredients."

"Well said, Mutsuki," Noriko said. "Passion and guts may be what fuel us, but I've learned that they aren't necessarily enough for people, who want results, concrete proof and convincing arguments."

Noriko's mind went back to a persuasive essay assignment she had in her second year. The teacher had given her some credit for making a passionate argument, but found her to be lacking in evidence, and Noriko barely managed to get a passing grade.

"Hisa-senpai was in one such situation," Miho said. "Few who wanted to d tankery would come to a school without a tankery club, and the student council would not revive it without popular demand, a Catch-22 of sorts. Perhaps the threat to the school's existence catalyzed the return of tankery, but certain individuals, myself included, ended up at the school independently of that. Perhaps where there's a will, there's a way."

Mutsuki nodded, finding Miho's confidence refreshing. Perhaps if Miho had become so sure of herself over her time as a leader, so would Mutsuki.

"I can't say I know the solution, Isobe-san, Tsuyama-san," Miho said. "But perhaps if there are many hungry people with ingredients they want to use, the student council will give you a pot."

"Yeah," Noriko said. "We're really not asking for much."

"And Tsuchiya-san, on a similar note, as long as you have people committed to your club, you will be able to keep it going," Miho said. "In the mean time, though, please let the others know that we value their efforts, and they can talk with me if they have any questions or concerns."

"Thank you, Nishizumi-san," Mutsuki said. "It'll probably be more difficult to actually achieve this, but having something to work towards is a good start."

"You're welcome," Miho said. "I do feel as though I'm drawing on others' experiences, but this is how I feel."

"Chin up, Mutsuki," Noriiko said with a smile. "Doesn't guts count for anything in mahjong?"

"Perhaps so," Noriko said, recalling a time when, in the course of a mahjong game in her first year, a bold discard near the end of a game enabled her to call a tile and go from last place to second place with a sanbaiman.

As Miho walked back to class, she pondered the various sorts of people who were part of the tankery team, whose efforts had been crucial to her victories time and again. They came from many different places, with many different desires and goals, so Miho had no desire to force them to cast everything else away for the sake of the team. Her mother often spoke of sacrifice in the name of victory, defining it as anything from giving up one's childhood in training for tankery to abandoning those in danger, but Miho did not believe sacrifice was a necessity. Victory came as a result of everyone's efforts, and she believed they deserved to share in it once they had won.

But Miho also found this conversation useful on another level. Mutsuki, Noriko and Tsuchiya were also leaders in their own way, growing into their responsibilities and facing separate challenges. Miho had the drive to constantly better herself, and this included learning from those around her. It was one more way the people under her command could help her, and a way for her to lead them better.

_"At Oarai, everyone has to do their part for the team to succeed," _Miho thought. _"The least I can do is to keep on learning and improving along with everyone else."_

* * *

**Author's Notes**

This is another Interlude with a focus on multiple characters. In this case, it's some of the clubs, whose struggles reflect some of the issues various crews have, and do sometimes relate to the tankery team's longer-term issues, including leadership, retaining members and staying afloat over time.

**Mutsuki Tsuyama and Noriko Isobe**

Mutsuki and Noriko are two individuals who contrast in many ways. Mutsuki is cool-headed, cautious and somewhat nervous, while Noriko is slightly hotheaded, impetuous, and driven by guts. Mutsuki wins by careful thought, luck and thinking independently, while Noriko wins by physical prowess, snap judgments, and teamwork.

Both Noriko and Mutsuki are in their final year of high school. In their first year, they joined a humble yet close-knit club of their respective sport. In their second year, they had to deal with it getting shut down, and set out on a quest to restore their club; although they realized that the school needed to be saved, they did not forget about their previous quest. And now, in their third year, they have the unenviable position of being in charge of a club that does not officially exist.

Both Noriko and Mutsuki realize that they are asking for the Student Council's blessing, as well as its money, but believe that while the Student Council is not obligated to grant either of their respective requests, neither is unreasonable. They are only asking to be allowed to come together with like-minded individuals, which will be of benefit to them and the school.

**Character Analysis: Tsuchiya and the Auto Club**

Tsuchiya isn't seen apart from her Auto Club members much in canon, so it's relatively difficult to tell what sort of person she is, or what relationships she has outside of the club. But one look at her tournament participation roster shows that as her teammates graduate and go their separate ways, she will remain behind at Oarai, likely the one in charge of the club. Like Mutsuki, she will have to adjust to her position and take up Nakajima's responsibilities.

But while she sees helping out the team as her responsibility, others see it as something of an imposition on them and are concerned that they are being used. Tsuchiya believes that fulfilling this responsibility will be best for all concerned, but how can she convince them to do it? Finding the answer to that question will be critical for the rest of it.

As for the newcomers, Oarai's need for their services is somewhat touching, but also concerning to them. They worry that the Student Council will only see the club as a tool of the tankery team. Any time spent fixing the tanks is not spent working on separate projects.

But in moments where they are not overwhelmed by frustration, they realize that their seniors willingly chose to help the tankery club, even crewing a tank in the final battle, and enjoying it all the while. Perhaps given enough time to come to understand why their senpais underwent this process, the newcomers will have a similar change of heart.

Incidentally, Tsuchiya's obsession with drifting seems to have been lost in the shuffle, partly because it's difficult to incorporate it or other quirks, like the History Team's citing history all the time. Perhaps if you want an in-story explanation, you could chalk it up to stress, since she's now in charge of a club that doesn't fully share her enthusiasm, more responsibility and less favorable circumstances. Her love of tankery hasn't completely diminished, but she finds it very difficult to be as enthusiastic as she used to be, to say the least.


	9. Old Friends and New Foes

**Chapter 7: Old Friends and New Foes**

The time for the tournament drawing came once again, and representatives from all the schools attended in the convention hall set aside for the event.

By coincidence, Miho was the first to draw. She knew that the number in and of itself meant nothing, as the other team's draws would determine her school's opponent, and her and her team's efforts would be necessary for their success.

Next came Itsumi Erika, now the commander of Black Forest. Miho knew Erika well from their first year at the school, which was also their last. Erika was ambitious, determined and always striving to advance the interest of Black Forest and the Nishizumi school. But she was also arrogant, hotheaded and intolerant of those who did not serve her purposes. She was in many ways everything Miho was not as far as Black Forest went; if Miho was the last person people would expect to have attended the school, Erika embodied the stereotypes associated with that school, particularly the negative ones.

After that, in turns, came the rest of the commanders. Miho knew of many of them, having faced some of their schools in the last two years, but she had heard of them as lower-ranked members of their teams, not the commanders. With the exception of her and a few others, most of them were new to the.

From Saunders came Sagimori Arata, who was calm, composed, and did not believe much in standing on ceremony. But she was driven to succeed, for the sake of her mentor and coach, Akado Harue, who had given her the red necktie that she wore with her school uniform.

From Pravda came Atago Kinue, the younger daughter of the founder and head of the Atago school, Atago Masae. She looked up to her headstrong and confident older sister Hiroe, and while she hoped to fight alongside her sister, she hoped to lead her school to victory in Hiroe's stead, as a way of continuing her sister's work and being acknowledged as her equal. Since the end of the last year, Miho and Kinue had become friends.

From Continuance came Mika, who briefly glanced over in Miho's direction while drawing her lot.

From St. Gloriana came Shoumei, a girl with white shoulder-length hair. Mihoko had chosen Shoumei as her successor for having a similar skill at tankery and regard for the well-being of her subordinates.

From Maginot came Eclair, a girl Miho's age who had shoulder-length dark hair. Frustrated with Maginot's reliance on its traditional defensive tactics even when they were impractical, she challenged her friend, senpai and predecessor to a duel for command of the team the previous year, wagering her own right to participate in tankery. Her victory had earned her leadership of the team, but also a reputation as a usurper who was trying to forcibly impose change. She thus hoped to prove that her style would perform well.

From BC Freedom came Kei, whom Miho recognized from the practice match before. She seemed more determined than usual this year, whether because Oarai's victory had emboldened the competition, because it was her last year, or simply because it was in her nature.

From Chihatan came Jindai Komaki, whose dark hair was tied in small pigtails and who wore ceremonial miko robes to the public appearance. Miho heard that Komaki's family was heavily involved in tankery, even if they did not have the Nishizumis' success. Miho wondered what expectations Komaki, the heiress to her family, someone who was regarded as royalty and addressed as "Princess" by many of her teammates, had to bear.

From Koala Forest came Ryuumonbuchi Touka, who was the daughter of the current head of the school, and a granddaughter of the founder. Her blonde hair made her look almost like a dead ringer for Kay, but the Koala Forest uniform had a differently colored blazer, skirt and necktie than the Saunders uniform did. In terms of personality, while both were somewhat bombastic and exuberant by nature, Touka carried herself with an aristocratic air of pride and grace that the laid-back Kay lacked.

From Anzio came Carpaccio, a blonde who was formerly her school's vice captain and now was its commander. She was in touch with her childhood friend, Caesar, even if both knew that their schools would possibly have to face each other in the tournament, and were willing to talk about virtually anything except tactically sensitive information for their schools.

From Joghurt came Nanpo Kazue, a brunette with long brown hair in a ponytail tied with a blue ribbon. Her family name was familiar to Miho, as Kazue was the granddaughter of Nanpo Shizuru, who was a somewhat well known professional tanker in her time. As soon as Kazue drew her number, Miho knew that she had picked the slot next to Miho's, and would be her opponent in the first round.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the stands, five Joghurt tankers, who were attending the ceremony, watched in horror as the previous champion became their first opponent. While neither was especially well-regarded, Joghurt's tankers realized that Oarai had done more to overcome its disadvantages than they had.

"Crap..." Shishihara Sawaya, the gunner of the crew, said. "Our first opponent is _Oarai?"_

"Is that a bad thing?" Motouchi Naruka, the loader, said.

"They only have ten tanks, from what I heard," Iwadate Yuan, then driver, said. "If this were the semi-finals, we'd have the advantage of numbers, however slight."

The others looked at her with blank expressions, unsure of how to bring up the fact that Joghurt had not made it that far in the tournament in any of their lifetimes.

"The tanks vary in quality," Himari Chikako, the radio operator said. "Perhaps the Type 89 is weak, but the Panzer IV, StuG and Tas are forces to be reckoned with; we'll likely lose a few to them and their crews."

"But I do remember the commander telling us one thing," Maya Yukiko, a first-year who was the commander for the group, said. "She believed that Oarai had overcome its disadvantage, and won against all odds. She believes there's no reason that we can't do the same."

Yukiko did sometimes wonder if what Kazue had said was true. But she found her confidence refreshing, especially Kazue's confidence in her skills. Her classmates had used her for menial labor before, but rarely had they entrusted her with a position as important as this. This responsibility and this opportunity warranted her absolute best, and she would not disappoint those who believed in her.

* * *

A few other commanders, whom Miho did not recognize, drew their numbers. Miho planned to keep an eye on their schools in case they became her opponents later, although the few remaining spots ensured that Miho would face them in the semi-finals, if she faced them at all.

The last person to come was the commander and representative for the newcomer this year, Rinkai All-Girls High School, a school with a large number of exchange students from many different countries that had only established a tankery team this year.

Tsujigaito Satoha, a girl with moderately long dark hair, walked to pick her lot. She wore her school's uniform of a charcoal gray blazer and skirt, a white dress shirt and a red necktie. For her public appearances, she wore her hair in a ponytail and wore glasses.

Satoha drew the lot, and realized that, as a result of their placement, Rinkai would have one extra match to go in the tournament- or possibly Bosporu, if, by some chance, it won the first round. Satoha understood the ramifications of this, but as she had won the national tournament while studying abroad in Germany, and some of her teammates at her new school had done the same in their home countries, she did not see having to go an extra round as unfair or impossible. Her school had a great deal of fanfare surrounding its arrival to tankery, but it had yet to justify the acclaim, so perhaps Satoha could think of it as yet another opportunity.

Satoha rejoined some of her friends from school, who were waiting in the audience, and dressed in the same uniforms that she wore. Some of them had never had to wear uniforms to class before coming to Rinkai, and while they were getting used to that, a few of them were surprised that they were being expected to wear the uniform outside of class. Satoha empathized with them, but reiterated that while Rinkai ultimately expected its students to follow the rules, even if they were unfamiliar to them.

Rinkai students who did follow the rules found that the school was quite inclusive. The cafeteria featured daily specials from various cultures in addition to a standard menu that accommodated various dietary practices and needs. Extracurricular activities were mandatory, but the school offered a wide variety of them, as well as resources that enabled students to find a club that suited their interests or establish their own. There had been significant demand for tankery over the past few years, and while it had taken more than popular demand to establish a club like that, once the support came from a variety of international sponsors, the team quickly established itself while welcoming many experienced transfer students. For Satoha, however, the opposite was true; she had studied abroad and did tankery in Germany for the past few years, and was eager to return to Japan with a friend she had made abroad.

"Ah, you're back," Hao Huiyu, a first-year from China with short blue hair, said. "It seems as though we have an extra match, but that shouldn't be an insurmountable problem for us."

Satoha nodded confidently, then turned to Megan Davin, an exchange student from America whose dark skin set her apart from the others, even on the ethnically diverse Rinkai team.

"Yeah, but I've got a question," Megan said. "If we're facing an extra match, does it make any difference as far as the tank limit goes?"

Choe Myeonghwa, a white-haired second-year who was born in South Korea and went to school in France, shook her head. The French national high school tournament, which her old school had won, had similar rules, even though the relatively few participants meant that there were only nine contestants in each given tournament. Her school happened to have the extra match, and her first match had the same rules as second.

"Not as far as I know, Meg," Myeonghwa said. "The rules say that _only_ the semifinals and the finals allow more than 10 tanks."

Aislinn Wisheart, a blonde third-year from New Zealand, drew on a dry-erase sketch pad with a marker. She was less fluent with Japanese than the others, and while she could understand others easily, she often found it easier to express herself by drawing on her sketch pad. This time, she drew a rough sketch of the tournament brackets, with lines indicating how many tanks were allowed at each level. The area encompassing the finals had "20 tanks," the semifinals' area had "15 tanks," and everything below that had "10 tanks."

"Ah, right," Megan said.

"Well, we do have a fair amount to prove this year," Nelly Virsaladze, a first-year from Georgia, said. "After all this hype, it wouldn't be funny if we lost right off the bat."

"That shouldn't be a problem as long as we don't get sloppy," Satoha said. "But for now, let's get going to the tankery cafe for a dessert before we head back; I'm also hoping we meet a certain someone there."

* * *

Inside a local tankery cafe, as Nodoka joined her friends from Saunders, Miho, together with the rest of her friends from Anglerfish Team, looked for a table.

Miho encountered Kinue, who waved her over.

"Hello, Miho-chan!" Kinue said. "It's good to see you here today."

"It's good to see you too, Kinue-san," Miho said. "Are you here by yourself?"

"Yes," Kinue said. "I'd introduce you to my vice-captain, Anastasia-chan, but she's not feeling well today."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Miho said. "Everyone, this is Atago Kinue-san, a friend of mine and Pravda's commander. Kinue-san, these are my friends and crewmates."

Miho's friends from Anglerfish Team introduced themselves.

"I'm Takebe Saori. I'm the radio operator for Miporin's team."

"My name is Isuzu Hana, and I am the team's gunner."

"Reizei Mako. I'm the driver."

"I'm Akiyama Yukari. I'm the loader."

Miho and Kinue took a seat, and placed their orders. Kinue, in the cafe for the first time, was initially unsure of what to order, until Miho recommended a vanilla-flavored cake in the shape of a KV-2. But once the feeling of unfamiliarity wore off, Kinue was intrigued.

"This seems like quite an interesting place," she said. "It reminds me a little of the soccer ball-like cake I had for my tenth birthday, but I didn't know these cakes would be so detailed."

"It's a work of art, Atago-dono," Yukari said, "so much so that it's almost a shame to eat it."

"I see," Kinue said. "By the way, Akiyama-san, you don't need to be so formal with me. '-san' is generally the most I expect out of people my age who don't know me well."

"That's just Yukari-san for you, Kinue-san," Miho said. "She calls almost everyone she knows that."

Kinue chuckled.

"You have quite an interesting group of friends, Miho-chan," Kinue said. "How have things been going for them and your school?"

"Relatively well," Miho said. "We've been practicing a fair amount lately, breaking in the new members as a way of getting ourselves as a team up to speed and ready for the tournament."

"You're not the only one," Kinue said. "Much of Pravda's team this time is officially representing the school for the first time. Similarly, many of the older students I look up to- my sister, Hiroko, Katyusha-senpai, Suehara-senpai and several others- are no longer around."

"I see," Miho said. Perhaps Pravda's difficulties in this regard would make things somewhat easier for Oarai if they were to face each other, but at the same time, Miho hoped Kinue would succeed in her own way. "How are you doing?"

"Fairly well," Kinue said, "Unlike your school, most of the newcomers to the main team were on the bench the previous year, just like I was in my first year."

Miho then noticed someone she recognized from the drawing approach the table, with another girl standing behind her. Miho could not get a good look at her face, but she seemed oddly familiar.

"Nishizumi Miho-san?" Satoha said. "And it seems I've found Atago Kinue-san as well; this is quite a fortuitous coincidence."

"Yes," Miho said. "And you are...?"

"Tsujigaito Satoha, commander of Rinkai Girls' school's tankery team," Satoha said. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," Miho and Kinue said as they stood up and bowed to their new acquaintance, before taking their seats again.

"Why don't you have a seat, Tsujigaito-san?" Miho said.

"Thank you, Nishizumi-san, but I'll pass; I'm not going to be here for all that long," Satoha said. "I mainly wanted to meet those responsible for giving Black Forest two consecutive defeats in the last two years. It's not something that happens very often, but it was long overdue."

"Why do you think so, Tsujigaito-san?" Kinue said.

"To be honest, most people are lucky to get the championship even once in their high school careers, regardless of circumstances, without schools like Black Forest around," Satoha said, prompting Kinue to nod in acknowledgment of Satoha's implicit point, before Satoha turned to Miho. "Nishizumi-san, I realize that your sister is a talented commander, but her school's winning streak should not have extended this long. My school might be a new arrival, but I hope that it opens the playing field up to more competition and ends the dominance of a single school over the championship."

Miho nodded. She had never valued upholding Black Forest's winning streak as much as everyone else did, even before it seemed as though she would have to choose between continuing it and saving her friends. To her, accepting defeat was a part of tankery, and when she won the tournament with Oarai, she saw it as nothing less than an impressive accomplishment. She thus understood what Satoha was saying, but knew that she was saying it from the perspective of an outsider, and so chose to enlighten her.

"I can't argue with what you're saying about my former school, Tsujigaito-san," Miho said, "but my sister understands that what is asked of her is extraordinary, and has her own reasons for wanting to pursue it. She holds those reasons dearer to her than the idea of victory, and considers the possibility that she may not need to win to achieve them. Furthermore, it's because of her and many other talented Black Forest commanders that the school's winning streak has extended as long as it had, not just their strong tanks. They have earned their victories, so you may find them difficult to defeat, should you face them."

Satoha nodded in understanding. Having been around people with many different cultures, she realized that she could not easily force others to adhere to her own values. For example, what some found to be appropriate familiarity was downright rude to others, while what some found to be obligatory politeness was overly formal and distant for others.

"Yeah, Satoha, if there's one thing I learned in my time in Japan, it's that you should trust what Miho says about her sister, the girl behind Satoha said with a slight German accent.

Miho looked closer, trying to figure out who was on a first-name basis with her, and the pieces came together.

"I know that voice..." Miho said.

"It seems you remember my vice-captain," Satoha said. "I didn't just come to tell you about why I wanted to win the tournament, but to introduce you to someone who's wanted to see you for years."

Satoha stepped to the side, fully revealing a girl with shoulder-length red hair and the Rinkai uniform- Miho's old friend, Nakasuga Emi.

"Emi-chan!" Miho said, surprised.

It had been about six years since the two had last seen each other, when Emi was on a train out of town, on her way back to her home in Germany. At the time, Miho had wondered whether she would ever see Emi again, but fervently hoped that she would. Before she had left, Emi had charged Miho with finding her own way of tankery, rather than doing it because her family expected of her or to emulate her sister, and Miho hoped to show Emi the answer she had found. But while Miho had believed she would see her old friend again, she had never expected to see her in Japan once again.

"It's been a while, Miho," Emi said. "I'm glad to see you're still doing tankery."

"As am I, Emi-chan," Miho said.

"You know each other?" Kinue said.

"We go back some ways," Miho said. "Kinue-san, this is Nakasuga Emi-chan, a girl I was friends with while I was in elementary school. Emi-chan, this is Atago Kinue-san, a friend of mine from Pravda, as well as my friends and crewmates- Akiyama Yukari-san, Isuzu Hana-san, Reizei Mako-san, and Takebe Saori-san."

"It's nice to meet you, Nakasuga-san," Kinue said, standing up and bowing, and Miho's teammates soon responded in kind. After a moment, Emi returned the bow.

"Sorry, Kinue... I mean, Atago-san, I'm a bit rusty with Japanese etiquette," Emi said, "which is exacerbated by the fact that I never really got it to begin with. It was always so hard to be polite to everyone else all the time."

Satoha shrugged.

"That's true," Satoha said. "But I must admit that I do often come off as more blunt and straightforward than most people."

"Well, you can get away with it, since your temper's better than mine," Emi said. "You can say what's on your mind, while being less likely to say something you'll regret, or in a less than optimal way."

"That's not always a bad thing, Nakasuga-san," Kinue said. "You do remind me a little of my sister."

Miho nodded. Hiroe, a relatively new friend of Miho's, was also hot-tempered and somewhat blunt about opinions that might offend other people, but very honest and true to herself. Maho respected that honesty and that passion, especially after having to keep so many aspects of herself hidden while assuming he Nishizumi heiress persona.

"Ah yes, her," Emi said. "I heard she was more than a little conflicted about her victory two years ago, but I believe she succeeded where a lot of people failed, and shook things up a little, like Miho did."

"Yes, and the championship is more open to competition than ever," Satoha said. "Black Forest is no longer in a lock to win, but neither are the schools that defeated it."

Kinue nodded in agreement. A year after her school's victory against Black Forest, her school had been defeated by the opponent it had defeated in the previous finals, before said opponent lost to the underdog, Oarai. She knew that it was unreasonable to take success against any opponent for granted, even as she worked to ensure her school won once again.

"My sister told me to watch out for three schools this year," Kinue said. "The first was Black Forest, the until recently undefeated champion, and previously our primary rival. The second is Oarai Academy, which won last year in spite of everything going against it. The third... is your school."

"You sure you want to let us know that we're on your radar, Atago-san?" Emi said, while proudly smirking.

"It would be foolish to assume that we're not, Emi," Satoha said. "We at Rinkai attracted a fair amount of attention upon our debut. Even Oarai could only benefit from being underestimated for so long. Hiding one's capabilities and counting on one's opponents to let their guard down is only viable as a short-term strategy."

"That's true," Kinue said, before adopting a confident smile. "But my sister then pointed out that if she were talking to anyone else, she would have to mention a fourth school- ours."

"Very true, Atago-dono," Yukari said. "Your school did well in the semifinals, and almost defeated Itsumi Erika-san's flag tank. Perhaps your school would have been our opponent in the finals, but I believe Nishizumi-dono would have triumphed."

Almost on cue, Erika walked past, but, noticing the group of people, stopped short.

"I finally found you," she said, looking at Miho, "although it seems I might have to get in line, so to speak."

Miho tensed up. Black Forest was often stereotyped as arrogant and ruthlessly competitive. While Miho, herself an exception to the stereotype, knew that groups of people were not homogeneous, she realized that Erika fit the image many people had of Black Forest. With the two's clashing personalities, and with Miho having bn chosen for the vice-captain position that Erika had sought in their first year at Black Forest before the incident that resulted in Miho's departure, Miho knew the encounter would likely be less than pleasant.

"Speak of the devil," Emi said as she turned and made eye contact with Erika. "We were just discussing the four schools most likely to win this, and you happened to come up, Itsumi-san."

"I imagine," Erika said. "In the old days, Black Forest was the only consistent winner, and I hope to bring about the return of those days."

Satoha frowned. The German high school level tournament was intensely competitive, and champions were often unseated, even when they did not succumb to arrogance or complacency. The idea of a school dominating for almost a decade and treating that as a natural occurrence came off as downright absurd to her.

"That puts our goals into direct opposition with each other," Satoha said. "In my perspective, the tournament's more fun when one school doesn't win all the time. I do my best to win for my school, but don't view the championship as something that I am duty-bound to attain year after year."

"The same goes for me," Kinue said. "I share Tsujigaito-san's sentiment, and merely hope that it's _my_ school that ultimately prevails."

"Yeah," Mako said. "I would have thought that the tournament would have knocked you off your high horse and forced you to understand our perspective- as well as our being a threat to you."

Satoha gave a slight smile at Kinue and Mako's sentiment, while Emi remained silent, not sure of what else she could say that Satoha and the others had not without potentially ending up saying something she would regret. As the others silently concurred, Erika paused, considering what to say next.

"I suppose it's natural all of you would come to that conclusion about our school, since you were never part of it," Erika said, before turning to Miho. "But what about those who _were_ part of it? For a while, I've been meaning to ask you this question- weren't you at all proud to be part of a school like Black Forest? Wasn't being our vice-captain both a great honor and a responsibility to the school?"

Miho noticed that Erika was not entirely the same person she had seen a year ago. Perhaps the old Erika would have made some sort of condescending remark about the other teams being inferior to the others. But while Erika still believed that her school and her way of tankery were superior to the others, she no longer seemed to look down on the competition as much; perhaps they were inferior, but they weren't necessarily doomed to lose.

"Having thought about it, Erika-san, I've realized that yes, I _was_ once proud to be part of that school," Miho said. "Black Forest's accomplishments impressed me, when I first came here, but they also intimidated me, as something I would have to live up to. In spite of that, I did my best as vice-captain for the sake of my teammates, including when I saved the tank."

"You certainly gave up on Black Forest quickly enough," Erika said, a scornful undertone in her voice. "A part of me was angry, but I believed we didn't need you if you felt that way... and, of course, it didn't hurt that I got your old position."

Miho shook her head.

"I wasn't just planning on leaving the school behind, Erika-san," Miho said with some resolve and an even greater measure of solemnity. "I believed that I'd be unable to do what I believed to be right if I stayed there, where I was forced to live up to my family name. When I left, I chose a school that had no tankery program, where my family's name and reputation would mean nothing, and nothing would be expected of me. Things didn't work out as I'd intended, though, but I'm glad for that."

Erika paused for a moment, caught off guard by what Miho had said. Clearly, Miho was not the same person who had wilted in the face of her harsh words a year ago. This was her answer, one she had thought over for a long time, given much consideration, and chosen for herself.

"Is that so?" Erika said, and Miho nodded.

"I have friends now at Oarai, and a school more suited to my methods of tankery," Miho continued. "And yet, my time at Black Forest wasn't entirely bad, though, as I believe I learned a great deal about what I wanted out of tankery, as well as how I could do it. I wasn't suited to relentlessly winning at all costs, but I am suited to my school, and can win my way."

"I thought so," Erika said as she stated to leave. "That's all I have to say for now. Just watch out, though- Black Forest's making a comeback this year. Your school, Pravda, Rinkai, everyone else who comes against us... we're taking you all down."

"I'll see you later, Erika-san," Miho said. "Please send my regards to the others at Black Forest."

With a nod and a brief wave, Erika walked off.

As Erika left, Kinue turned to Miho, and softly sighed, her expression uncomfortable. Miho knew that Kinue, unlike her sister and her cousin, was of the belief that, "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all"; indeed, she had not spoken even once since Erika's arrival.

"You... don't like Erika-san, Kinue-san?" Miho said.

Kinue sighed and shook her head.

"That's putting it too bluntly, Miho-chan," Kinue said. "After we were defeated in the semifinals last year, when I commanded the flag tank, my sister comforted me, not blaming me for the loss. From what I heard from Itsumi-san back then, I do not think she would have been so compassionate if I were one of her subordinates. That's all there is to it."

Miho nodded, realizing that Kinue's opinion about Erika was the same as her opinion about Shiho. Kinue, like many students who attended her family' school, did not agree with the Nishizumi style, and believed that she would not do well by their standards. Kinue and Miho thus chose to do tankery their own way, and hoped to win their way, as well.

"Perhaps her defeat against us is causing her to change that perspective," Miho said. "She seems less sure of herself than last year."

"Perhaps," Kinue said. "But this time, she won't have to face you until the finals, while her opponents until then will largely be schools that hers defeated last year, including mine."

"But that is good news in a sense," Miho said. "In that case, I can root for you without hesitation until then."

Satoha furtively glanced at her watch, then turned to Miho.

"We'll have to be going," Satoha said. "It was nice talking with you, Nishizumi-san, Atago-san."

"Likewise," Miho and Kinue said.

"I'll talk to you more later, Miho," Emi said. "But before I go, you have Skype, right?"

"I do," Miho said.

"Great; here's my contact information," Emi said, handing her a piece of paper with that information, and Miho did likewise. "My family keeps in touch with Skype, with me in Japan, my folks in Germany, and my sister on a German university ship."

"Thank you, Emi-chan," Miho said. "I'm glad we were able to meet again, and I'd like to talk with you soon."

"It was nice meeting you, Nakasuga-san," Kinue said.

After Emi and Satoha left, Miho and Kinue looked at each other.

"It seems your school's days as an unknown are over, Miho-chan," Kinue said. "Some may dismiss your victory as a fluke, but those who have faced you know better."

"I know," Miho said. "But what about you, Kinue-san? When exactly did we appear on your radar, so to speak?"

"We took notice of your school after your match with St. Gloriana," Kinue said, "although we had more pressing concerns, namely Black Forest."

"My sister said most of her schoolmates felt similarly, and they were concerned about how the match with your school would go," Miho said. "It was only after they won that many of them, apart from my sister, started looking ahead to the finals, although some were expecting Saunders to win, rather than us."

"There is a certain amount of wisdom in that perspective," Kinue said. "You shouldn't get ahead of yourself, either. Joghurt is not an especially strong opponent, but you should take them seriously."

"And what about you, Kinue-san?"

"Maginot isn't quite the same as it was in my mom's time," Kinue said, "but I'll have to take them seriously, too. They'll test me as a leader, just like they tested Mom."

"I see," Miho said. "I wish you the best of luck, then."

After Miho's crew and Kinue finished their desserts and paid the bill, they got up to leave.

"I must be going, Miho-chan," Kinue said. "Good luck in the tournament, and please send my regards to Takako."

"My old coach?" Miho said, reflexively reacting before she realized that the fairly polite Kinue would not be so familiar with adult who was a stranger to her.

"Ah, no," Kinue said. "Suzuki Takako, my second cousin, whom you may know as Caesar."

"Ah, yes," Miho said. "If I recall, she's friends with Carpaccio-san from Anzio."

"And you said Haramura-san is eating with Sagimori-san and the others from Saunders right now?" Kinue said, and Miho nodded. "It seems I'm not the only one with friends and family in other schools."

"I know," Miho said. "It's because I get along with all those other people that I wish them the best, even if I'm competing and hope to win for my own reasons."

Kinue nodded.

"It was nice meeting you, Atago-san," Hana said.

"Likewise," Kinue said. "I hope we can see each other again in the tournament."

The two parted ways with smiles on their faces before Miho walked off to rejoin her friends. Miho did not think of her opponents as her enemies, as while they were competing for the championship, that could be considered yet another commonality between them. As such, Miho would cheer on her friends from other schools, while still resolving to do her best for her school, no matter the opponent.

* * *

After finishing up, the girls of Anglerfish Team boarded the boat that they would take back to their school ship.

"This is great, Miporin!" Saori said. "Not only did you meet one of your friends from another school, but you saw one that you haven't seen in years."

"It certainly is, Saori-san," Miho said.

Mako nodded in agreement, her expressionless face warming for a moment.

"I recently found out that one of my classmates from middle school, one of my oldest friends besides Saori, is studying and working as part of the ship's crew," Mako said. "It's always nice to see an old friend again."

"I remember Nakasuga-san from when you told us about your childhood friends, Miho-san," Hana said. "But what about the other two; Yuzumoto Hitomi-san and Yusa Chihiro-san, correct?"

Miho nodded to confirm that Hana had the names correct.

"Unfortunately, so far, I only was able to meet with Emi-chan," Miho said. "But at the same time, I believe I'll be able to meet with the others again, just like Nodoka-san met with her friends.

"Haramura-dono's quite lucky," Yukari said. "Not only does she have friends from a young age, but she reconnected with them after so long. I never had any friends I knew well at that age. She must be happy to see them again, along with everyone else she met at Oarai."

* * *

_Previously at the cafe_

Nodoka sat at a table with her friends from Saunders, whom she knew to different degrees and in different contexts. Takakamo Shizuno and Atarashi Ako were two of her first friends in Achiga, one of a few towns she lived in as a child, and had introduced her to the tankery club. While at the tankery club, she had befriended Matsumi Kuro, whose older sister, Matsumi Yuu, was unable to come to the drawing due to being at university. In middle school, Nodoka had befriended Hanada Kirame when she joined the school's tankery club. It was only recently that Nodoka had gotten to know Arata, a childhood friend of the Matsumi sisters.

"Again, congratulations on becoming Saunders' commander, Arata," Nodoka said.

"Thank you, Nodoka," Arata said. "It is quite a responsibility."

"Akado-san knows that you're the best suited to handle this, Arata-chan," Kuro said. "Of all of us, you're the most reliable and dependable."

"Yeah," Arata said. "Most of the experienced leaders, like Kay and her friends, left at the end of the year."

"Well, Kay does know that you won't do anything like put up a radio interception balloon behind everyone's back, Arata," Ako said. "I'm glad she and Alisa patched things up before they graduated, but Kay has no desire for anything like that to happen again."

"So how about your circumstances, Nodoka?" Shizuno said.

"Oarai's no longer in _immediate_ danger of closing," Nodoka said. "As such, we can look to the future and think about things down the road. Miho-senpai even occasionally floated the possibility of making me _commander_ after she graduates."

"That's a sound idea," Arata said. "I may be a second-year, but I'm also planning for the future. We may be doing our utmost to win this year, but we're also looking ahead to the future, including by training some of our younger members to do tankery."

"I see," Nodoka said. "That sounds like quite a responsibility."

"You seem a little nervous, Nodoka-chan," Kuro said, "and I can understand the feeling. I was always happy driving, since it seemed like you had a great deal on your plate as commander of our small team. And Arata-chan has taken a large step up from commanding her tank to helping command the crew."

Arata nodded in agreement.

"Like Kuro said, I think I know where you're coming from, Nodoka, so I think I'll give you some advice," Arata said. "When you're a leader, you'll likely find yourself wondering why you were the one that was chosen. Simply do your best so that you can inspire the others to do the same. You and I aren't the only newcomers to leading, after all."

Nodoka nodded. Perhaps her old friends would once again become her opponents, but for now, they were able to cooperate, share knowledge and help each other.

* * *

Back at the school, Nodoka decided to place a call to Hisa, telling her what she heard from her friends, in hopes of getting her perspective as the former vice-captain.

"I see," Hisa said. "I think Sagimori-san raises some good points, ones that I followed as commander of my old middle school, and vice-captain of Oarai."

"She was also right about the two of us not being the only ones who had to get used to leading," Nodoka said, "perhaps more so than she realized. Tsuyama-senpai, Tsuchiya-senpai, Hirose-senpai and President Mikado are in the same position as well, with the latter having to deal with commanding a tank and being president of the student council."

"I see," Hisa said. "I spoke with Mikado-san recently. While she still judges us unfavorably and disagrees with the decisions her predecessors made, she's relatively humble and willing to learn, even from us."

"I'm a bit surprised that you were able to get to speak with her, Hisa-senpai," Nodoka said. "She always struck me as the type who was detached and professional, to the point of keeping a certain distance from her subordinates and constituents."

"You might just get the chance someday, Nodoka," Hisa said. "It'll be quite an educational opportunity, both in understanding what it means to be a leader, and the perspective of those in charge of the student government."

Nodoka nodded in agreement. The tournament was just getting started, and so was the ongoing struggle to keep Oarai Academy open and its tournament team around. Winning in the tournament and ensuring the school's continued survival were both of the utmost importance to her, so she hoped to learn more about those who were entrusted with the school.

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

Oarai is going into the tournament again, but this time, they're no longer an unknown. Their victory has earned them a measure of respect, as well as fear, and their opponents will no longer underestimate them; some will acknowledge that they have advantages, but no longer believe said advantages are absolute. All too often, writers of sequels have the protagonists' rivals continue to treat them as amateurs or be dismissive of their accomplishments, so I hoped to avoid that. While Oarai is fighting to prove that its victory is not a fluke, that does not mean that its previous accomplishments count for nothing.

It's tempting to give Oarai the extra battle that would result from adding a seventeenth school into the tournament, but I decided to give it to Rinkai, to give them an additional chance to establish themselves as a worthy contender in universe.

Miho's victory the previous year has instilled in her a greater sense of confidence, which is why she feels more comfortable standing her ground against Erika this time. Her post-series level of confident can be difficult to portray while keeping her in character. Some writers go too far, portraying her as overly authoritative and even occasionally verbally aggressive toward others. Others, however, make her overly dependent on others, particularly the OC she's romancing. Portraying characters well in fan fiction is something of a balancing act, and in this case, it's a challenge to make Miho somewhat more confident while also keeping her true to herself.

I'm not sure whether Hao is the Chinese girl's first or last name. It's presumably the latter, but that does make her a bit of the odd one out of the Rinkai group, since they otherwise use first names on each other in Saki.

Originally, Miho's friends weren't going to appear in the tank cafe scene, since there were quite a few other characters, but I added them in because it wouldn't make sense for Miho to go off on her own without them.

Edited to make a few minor changes.


	10. Interlude 12: Oarai's Student Council

**Interlude 12: Oarai's Student Council**

After practice one day, Ayano approached Miho and Nodoka in the tankery garage.

"Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san, I have a question for you, as treasurer," Ayano said.

"Feel free to ask, Treasurer," Miho said, accepting Ayano's request and the terms on which she made it. Unlike Shiina and Natsumi, who had recently opened up to her while not on their jobs as student council members, Ayano and Shizuru maintained a certain professional distance from Miho on the student council and takrey team.

"How are the others feeling?" Ayano said. "I'm mainly thinking about the heads of the auto, mahjong and volleyball clubs."

Miho nodded. Having spoken with the others again since their lunch together, she had noticed morale improving. The Auto Club had fewer complaints about the workload relating to the tankery team, and were working faster. Tsuchiya surmised that everyone had accepted that was part of their job. The mahjong and volleyball club had a few new first-years join them, although said first years were not doing tankery.

"At the moment, the former mahjong and volleyball clubs are doing their best to get their clubs re-established, and Leopon team is continuing to dedicate themselves to repairing our tanks, in spite of their doubts," Miho said. "In short, they're dedicated to the success of the entire team, but they're also part of their own groups, and they want to do what's best for both the tankery team and their clubs."

"I see," Ayano said. "I'm not surprised, since I did hear some murmurs of discontent among the students. Shizuru did say that she never expected everyone to approve of everything that we did, but she did it because it's right. But while that much has always been obvious to her, it's dawning on her that she's similar to Kadotani-senpai in that regard."

"Shizuru?" Miho said, surprised to hear the president's first name.

"She and I are best friends, having known each other for some time before we joined the student council," Ayano said, "about as long as Teradaira-san and Fujino-san have. I typically address her by her title on the job out of respect for her position, but this is something she feels as an individual, even if it is difficult to acknowledge it in a professional context."

"I think I have some idea of what you're saying," Nodoka said.

"I agree, Nodoka-san," Miho said, "but the Kadotani administration was certainly more open about their personalities. Their personalities on the job, so to speak, were similar to those they showed in the tankery team, and in everyday life."

"Perhaps so," Ayano said. "You might say that the president's leadership is a style that comes quite naturally to Shizuru. But that's not all there is to her."

"I see," Miho said. She wondered how she would get to know Shizuru, who seemed more reserved and distant than most of the others.

"The others were hoping to meet with you and talk, outside of our positions as far as the student government and tankery team go. Are you willing to meet with us?"

Nodoka and Miho looked at each other, and nodded.

"We are," Miho and Nodoka said.

"Excellent," Ayano said. "Would this evening, after practice work?"

Nodoka and Miho nodded.

"I'll see you then," Ayano said, before the two got back to their respective tasks.

* * *

That evening, after practice, Miho and Nodoka met in the student council office. The four student council members were seated around a small table, and invited Miho and Nodoka to sit down.

"Thank you for coming, Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san," Shizuru said.

"We're glad for the chance to meet with you and get to know you better, President... I mean, Mikado-san," Miho said.

"So Ayano explained the purpose of this meeting to you," Shizuru said. "That's good to hear. By now, you've probably realized that, as important as first impressions tend to be, your first impression of us is not the entire story."

"That's true," Miho said. "People often deliberately act their best to create a good first impression."

"That's true, although we on the Student Council often have to remain mindful of our position," Shizuru said. "Your public façade is a bit like your uniform, something that you have to put on to be respectable, and we wear ours on official business."

"I wouldn't make that analogy, Mikado-san," Natsumi said. "A uniform involves a standard and rigid degree of conformity, and while there are certain criteria for what is considered respectable and what is not, one's behavior is determined by the circumstances. I'd say it's a bit like wearing a suit to work; there are guidelines for what is acceptable, but it's ultimately up to you to decide how you go about meeting them."

"I agree," Shiina said. "You may not have noticed, Miho, but different members of the Student Council have their different approach. Natsumi would probably wear bright colors, in contrast to a more understated everyday appearance. Mikado-san and Satou-san, however, are definitely conservative as far as their 'suits' go."

"I see what you mean," Miho said. "So, where should we begin? What's the first thing you would like me to know about you?"

Shizuru nodded, deciding to take the initiative.

"We could start any number of places," Shizuru said, "but I'd like to start with why we're here. Late last year, as you may recall, I wrote a editorial criticizing the Kadotani administration for, among other things, keeping the school's impending closure secret."

"Yes, we remember reading it," Nodoka said, and Miho nodded to confirm it. The Oarai school newspaper had published a special edition a few days after the announcement, and had invited students to give their opinions. Shizuru was not the only one to submit an opinion, but she was by far the most critical of the Kadotani administration.

"If I had more space, I would have gone into other issues across the Kadotani administration's tenure," Shizuru said, "such as a tendency for work to pile up in the Vice President's lap. But while I mainly chose to focus on the pertinent issues, my opinion on those matters was not lost on Kadotani-senpai or the others."

* * *

_Last year, a few days after the semifinals_

When Shizuru heard her name being called on the PA system in homeroom on the morning her letter was published, she immediately understood why, having prepared for it. Clearly, this was not a standard call for her as class rep, since the meeting had been yesterday.

_"The Student Council certainly moves quickly in situations like this,"_ she thought, as she walked toward the student council's office. _"It's clear that they don't take criticism lying down."_

Shizuru immediately heeded the summons. As she reached the door to the student council office, Shizuru took a deep breath. She did not anticipate that the meeting would be pleasant, but she had prepared for it.

"Mikado Shizuru, here as requested, President Kadotani," Shizuru said as she entered the office.

"We understand that you wrote a letter criticizing the Student Council's keeping Oarai's impending closure secret, did you not?" Momo said.

Shizuru nodded, hoping not to waste time confirming what they both knew to be true.

"I did," Shizuru said, "and I stand by what I said."

Anzu chuckled softly.

"Well, that gets the part in which we try to convince you to recant it out of the way," Anzu said, slightly amused, before turning serious. "But even so, we think you don't quite understand the entire issue. At a time like this, when success means our school stays around and failure means we shut down, do you really want to quibble over our methods, which are both legal and in keeping with the code of conduct?"

"So the ends justify the means, then?" Shizuru said, glancing around to see how the others would react to her question.

Yuzu softly sighed, thinking back to the student council's recruitment of Miho, where Anzu had implicitly threatened three students with expulsion over one student's choice of elective. In spite of disagreeing with Anzu on that issue and others, she recognized what Anzu was trying to accomplish, and stood by her when push came to shove, even if it meant that people like Shizuru would see Yuzu as an accomplice.

"Not always, Mikado-san," Yuzu said. "But the President did what she did for the sake of the school as a whole. Hisa, Momo-chan and I didn't always agree with her, but we decided to stand by her, come what may."

The other two nodded to silently concur, with Momo even choosing to forgo reminding Yuzu not to put the "-chan" after her name. Shizuru frowned slightly, knowing that whatever she hoped to accomplish here, there was no chance of her swaying any of the student council members to her side. Perhaps they had come too far to quit now, but they also were loyal to Anzu.

"We are curious about one thing, Mikado-san," Hisa said, breaking the silence. "Our situation is not exactly optimal, nor is our solution. The latter was formulated on the spur of the moment, based on a remark made in passing, and hoping to succeed with a plan I have been trying to enact, with little success, for about two years. The odds against us have been- and still are- quite long, but we have gone farther than we had thought. What _would_ you have done instead?"

Shizuru found herself slightly at a loss for words. She had criticized the Student Council's approach, but while doing so, had neglected to propose an alternative. She could say that she was limited by word count, but the fact was that she had failed to consider this, and thus was unable to prepare the best possible argument when the time came to face the student council. So with that option precluded, she chose to give the best possible one she could think of on the fly.

"Whatever was necessary to help save the school," Shizuru said. "Whatever the method, I would have been honest with the student body about the circumstances that affect them. They deserve to know that the ship on which they live, they go to school and some of their families work is in danger. They should have the time to ahead in case they need to find a new school for next year- unlike you and the rest of your yearmates, who will be graduating. This struggle to save the school is theirs as much as yours, and they should be able to become aware of it and take part alongside you."

Momo's temper flared and she clenched her teeth together.

"You're not the first and you won't be the last to criticize us, Mikado," Momo said. "But even if people like you are coming out of the woodwork these days, I don't want to hear our decisions being second-guessed by someone who didn't offer an idea to save the school, and isn't participating in tankery alongside us!"

Shizuru felt stung by Momo's angry outburst. She still stood by her belief that the broader student body could have helped. But what had she done until now? And what was she doing?

"Settle down, Kawashima," Anzu said, before turning back to Shizuru. "Sorry about that, Mikado-chan. I agree with Kawashima's saying to some extent, though; lots of people are complaining about us, but few have any idea what they would have done if they'd been called into MEXT's office and been told that the school that they'd spent the past three years would be shut down and reduced to scrap metal at the end of the year."

Shizuru solemnly nodded. She stood by her point that the student council's decision to keep the closure secret was made without regard for what plans the first- and second-years would have to make if they no longer had a school to which they could return the following year. In spite of that, she was starting to see another side to the issue. They had spent their entire high school career on the ship, and hoped to leave it, without regretting anything or becoming the final graduating class.

"But I will say, Mikado-chan," Shizuru said, "that you're probably one of the bolder and more ambitious ones, to go public with your views like that, so I have a proposal for you."

"I'm listening, President Kadotani," Shizuru said.

"You seem to think that you can do a better job than we can," Anzu said. "Why not run for office for next year and take that burden upon yourself? Of course, you'll have to fill the other positions with individuals who agree with you enough to get behind you, and then win the election. Then, if you win and the school's around next year, you'll have some idea of what we were up against."

Shizuru paused to consider what Anzu was saying.

"But the only way I can possibly put myself to the test, so to speak," Shizuru said, "is if this... plan of yours... succeeds?"

"You're a smart cookie, Mikado-chan," Anzu said with a cheeky grin, before turning more serious. "Winning the tankery tournament was an idea I thought of on the spur of the moment, but it's our school's only hope. If we win, we save our school for the moment. If we lose, then the school gets closed, just like it would have if we'd done nothing."

"You have a point, Kadotani-senpai," Shizuru said. "But once again, I don't think this end necessarily justifies any means necessary to achieve it."

"Like Yuzu said, no, it doesn't, Mikado-san," Hisa said. "But you will find yourself having to bear the responsibility to make decisions like this... as well as the consequences that result from them. You will face many difficult decisions, and will have to ask yourself what you value most and what you must accomplish."

Shizuru saw an entirely new side of the student council. If Momo did little more than bark orders and Anzu did nothing at all when they could get away with it, this was all of them putting all their effort into saving the school. Perhaps if preserving Oarai was a cause important enough for them to take seriously, Shizuru could do her part in her own way.

"Very well, I will do it," Shizuru said. "But not for the sake of proving that I could have done better, but to provide the best possible governance for Oarai Academy."

Anzu smiled and nodded.

"I'm glad we had this discussion, then," Anzu said. "Now you can run along, and we can get back to the task of saving this school."

Shizuru bowed and took her leave, but as soon as she closed the door to the office behind her, she let off a sigh, never having expected this outcome to her meeting.

A part of Shizuru was displeased with what she had heard. In her mind, Anzu was lazy until there was an emergency, and lied until she had no choice to reveal the truth. The other student council members did not necessarily agree, but were arguably enabled Anzu's laziness and were complicit in Anzu's deception. That belief had not changed, even if Shizuru was starting to realize how difficult it was to do better than they did. She now believed more than ever how important it was for her or someone else to do so

Shizuru vowed to bring consistent, honest and effective leadership to Oarai Academy. Perhaps the prerequisite for doing so was the Kadotani administration's plan working, but Shizuru believed that even if that was the case, she and those she chose as her inner circle could still run the school more effectively, fairly and honestly than they had.

* * *

_Present day_

"So, Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san," Shizuru said, "do you agree with my points? Or do you approve of the Kadotani administration's approach?"

Miho paused to carefully consider her answer. Until midway through the semifinals, she had not realized that the school was in danger, and she could only guess what the former student council knew or how they did it. She found it harder to criticize the student council along those lines, having some idea of what it meant to be a leader of a large group of students, with much of the responsibility for success on her shoulders.

But there was also a more emotional element to it. Hisa, the former treasurer, was a friend of hers. Miho got along with Yuzu, who, like her, was an affable and good-natured individual. Through participating in tankery, Miho had earned Momo's respect and Anzu's gratitude. It was thus hard for Miho to judge them so easily.

"I'm not sure," Miho said, attempting to give a diplomatic but honest answer. "Until I am faced with such a decision, without the benefit of hindsight, I wouldn't know what to do."

"Neither would I," Nodoka said.

"Ayano said the same thing to me not long after I published my editorial," Shizuru said. "I was hardly surprised that she disagreed, but I was pleased that I had her support in my endeavor."

* * *

_Last year_

Shizuru went to her classes after her meeting with the student council, and quietly slipped in during the first class. In the break between classes, Ayano, a friend of hers since her first year, approached her.

"Shizuru, do you have a minute?" Ayano said.

"I do, Ayano," Shizuru said.

"I read your letter to the editor," Ayano said, "and while I agree with your argument that the Student Council's decision to keep our school being of peril of closure was wrong, have you considered their perspective?"

"What do you mean by that?" Shizuru said. "And what, exactly would you like me to glean from that?"

"The Student Council knew how unlikely their plan seemed," Ayano said, "as well as that if they failed or were found out, they would likely suffer public backlash. They knew the risk, and took it anyway."

"That may be so, but risky decisions are not necessarily the right ones," Shizuru said.

"Perhaps, but what did they have to choose from and why did they choose what they did?" Ayano said. "I think only they would truly know."

"They said as much," Shizuru said, realizing that the Student Council's arguments, viewed in this light, no longer seemed to be as much of rationalizations as they were before. "And they challenged me to do it differently if I thought I could do better."

"Well, why not do so?" Ayano said. "It's easy to sit back and criticize them, but harder to lead, much less better than they do. Difficult or easy, in a best case scenario, _someone_'s going to have to do it once they graduate, and you might just be the person for the job."

Shizuru paused to consider Ayano's arguments. She was unsure whether it was because her best friend was speaking, it was because Ayano was not trying to justify her own actions or because she was starting to understand what she was hearing, but she found the point easier to accept this time. Similarly, she came to the same decision she had made, and felt more confident in it.

"That's what I thought," Shizuru said. "But I also realize I can't do this alone. So, Ayano, are you interested in helping me?"

"You can count on me," Ayano said.

With those words and a handshake between two friends, the Mikado Administration's campaign for student council was established.

* * *

_Present day_

"Spurred on by Kadotani-senpai's challenge and convinced by Ayano's arguments, I started my campaign," Shizuru said. "Before we could begin, however, we needed to recruit additional people."

"Most of our other friends were uninterested in and/or unsuited for student council work," Ayano said. "So we decided to widen our search and ask around in our class."

"That's when we encountered them," Shizuru said, gesturing at Shiina and Natsumi, "our first and only recruits for our student council candidacy."

* * *

_Last year_

After class the day after Shizuru's meeting with the student council, Shiina and Natsumi approached Shizuru. Word had gotten around about Shizuru's beginning to form a campaign to run for student council, but many dismissed it as a fool's errand, or were otherwise hesitant to join without knowing for certain that he school would still be around next year.

Shiina and Natsumi considered such ideas, and did not disagree. However, they had their own reasons for wanting to apply, mainly because their families insisted on it.

"Are you sure about this, Natsumi?" Shiina said.

"I'm positive," Natsumi said. "When I spoke with my father about this, he encouraged me to apply for whatever position they had open, wanting to see a more respectable student government. And as for you, I think your mother will be content with you at least asking about it, even if the school does get shut down. It's an extracurricular activity, if nothing else."

"Fine," Shiina said unenthusiastically, knowing that Natsumi was once again parroting her father's commands, rather than expressing her own thoughts. "I'll let you do most of the talking, but we're just asking about it at the moment, right?"

"Deal," Natsumi said.

Their preparations finished, the two approached Shizuru and Ayano.

"Hello, Mikado-san," Natsumi said. "I read your letter in the school newspaper, and I agreed with it completely!"

Shiina let off a soft groan. Natsumi had never been the most ardent suppoter of the Kadotani administration, but it was a stretch to say that she completely agreed with it. When she had first read Shizuru's editorial, her perspective, like Ayano's was to fault the Kadotani administration's approach but wonder what better plans Shizuru had in mind.

Shiina, for her part, was apathetic about the prospect of working for Shizuru, and mainly went along with it out of a desire to satisfy her mother's standards, and because her friend seemed interested under her enthusiastic facade. In spite of that, she decided to put her best foot forward, to make a good first impression for both of their sakes.

"Thank you," Shizuru said. "As you can see here, I am running for student council on the platform of a more open, accountable and professional administration, and am recruiting like-minded individuals to help us. Are you interested in serving?"

"Yes," Natsumi said "I would like to introduce my friend, Fujino Shiina-san. Both of us are interested in joining you."

Shiina inwardly groaned at how formal Natsumi was being with her.

_"I get that you're trying to be polite," _Shiina thought, _"but you really don't need to introduce me as though I'm as much of a stranger to you as Mikado-san is."_

"Nice to meet you, Mikado-san, Satou-san," Shiina said.

"I'm glad the two of you are interested in joining," Shizuru said. "We have need of a public relations representative and a vice-president."

The four girls discussed the positions and their qualifications for several minutes. They eventually arrived at a tentative arrangement as far as their positions in the new position would be were they to be electd, albeit one that soon became permanent.

"That's all we have to discuss for today," Shizuru said. "Thank you for coming by, Teradaira-san, Fujino-san. Can I count on you to stop by tomorrow after school?"

"Yes, Mikado-san," Natsumi said, and Shiina nodded.

"That's good to hear," Ayano said. "I look forward to seeing you again."

The two pairs of girls said goodbye, and went their separate ways.

"So what do you think about this?" Shiina said, almost hoping Natsumi would talk her out of it.

"They seem quite sincere about this," Natsumi said, "and they need our help. I honestly don't put as much stock in what my father says about respectability, but I'd like to help Mikado-san and Satou-san, and believe that we would be able to do so."

"Well, neither of them seems like the kind to just drag themselves to their work after a few weeks, and eventually stop showing up altogether," Shiina said. "Perhaps it might be a nice change of pace to work alongside them.

* * *

_Present day_

"I had hoped to recruit other girls and see who was most suitable, but Ayano and the others were the only ones who were interested," Shizuru said. "It was an unlikely group of people, possibly similar to Kadotani-senpai's group at the start, but people who were ready to watch over Oarai Academy."

Ayano nodded. She was willing to serve on the student council, but she was always prepared to step aside if people with more experience arrived. That never happened, though, and as such, Ayano resolved to give efforts befitting Shizuru's best possible treasurer.

"And I'm probably the most unlikely of them all," Shiina said, "so do you mind if I go first?"

"You may, Fujino-san," Shizuru said. "I believe you told me at least some of it already, but i would be interested in hearing again."

"And we would like to hear it as well," Nodoka said.

"Since I was young, my mom has been pressuring me to get involved in and be a leader of extracurricular activities, even if she didn't specifically have the student council in mind," Shiina said. "Chief among them was shogi, something my mom had taught me since I was young. I used to be president of the club in middle and high school."

Miho was all too aware of how demanding parents could be sometimes, even if Shiina's mother sounded less devoted to shogi than Shiho did to tankery. Nodoka's father had high expectations of her, but he was less particular about what she did as long as she did it well, and now that she had proven herself in tankery, he was more open minded about he participation in it.

"It seemed to be an easy enough way to keep my mom happy without having to work too hard," Shiina said. "I pretty much watched over everyone, played some games with the others, gave them feedback on their play, and occasionally did recruiting for new members. But then, the Student Council cut the funding on it midway through last year."

Miho paused to consider what she had to say next. She was unwilling to make any spculations as to why the club had shut down, but she was interested in hearing about what had happened to it, why it had fallen while others remained.

"What happened?" Miho said.

"We had a high rate of attrition," Shiina said, "mostly people who didn't resign, ending up as ghost members and putting us below the headcount requirement. In hindsight, I probably should have done more to retain the members or recruit new ones, although I didn't see the point. Most of the group seemed quite apathetic, as was I, to an extent. It's a bit like getting an unwanted potted plant as a gift, and forgetting to water it. Although... it's more like the Kadotani administration took it off my hands."

"So did you get involved in the student council immediately after the dissolution of your old club?" Miho said.

"Nope," Shiina said with an amused grin. "After a classmate approached me in the hall, and expressed a casual interest in joining the now defunct club the day after it was shut down, I realized that people didn't know. In hindsight, it seemed unrealistic, but at the time, I believed that if I kept my mouth shut, my mom would be none the wiser, and I wouldn't be forced into whatever club she had in mind next."

* * *

_Last year_

Shiina walked back to her apartment and shut the door behind her. Now that her club had been shut down, she was getting used to going back home earlier in the afternoon, and having more free time to play games. She was playing a role-playing game on a game console in her room, doing a low level run through the game- she liked the challenge, as well as that she did not have to level grind, although it had taken several times through the game to acquire the skills necessary for it.

Shiina then got a call on her cell phone, which the caller ID reported as being from her mother. While Shiina regularly got calls from her mother, she did not expect them at this time of day.

"_Mom?"_ Shiina thought, while pausing her game. _"Doesn't she know I'd be in the middle of a club meeting if the Shogi Club were still around?"_

"Hello, Mom?" Shiina said.

"Hello, Shiina," Shiina's mother said. "I heard in the Oarai student newspaper that your club was shut down recently."

Shiina's jaw dropped. She'd forgotten that Oarai's paper had a web edition, albeit a somewhat primitive and poorly designed one.

"Really?" Shiina said. "Are you sure that's true, Mom?"

"I am," Shiina's mother said. "It's part of an article about extracurricular activities at the school. I believe it started on the front page."

Shiina picked up a copy of the paper that was lying around her room, and quickly turned to the article. In about a second, she noticed the passage in question, the name of one of the few people who stayed in the club until the end.

_...Nagato Chiyuri-san, a first-year and member of the now defunct shogi club..._

_"Crap..."_ she thought. _"Mom's on to me, and she's probably pissed off from hearing about it in the newspaper before she heard about it from me."_

"…oh," Shiina said.

"I'm sure you did what you could," Shiina's mother said, "but if you stand little chance of getting that club started again, you should find another extracurricular activity. You can't just sit around all day."

Shiina was tempted to remind her mother that she had class and homework, so she was not entirely idle. She had made good use of her time, and was near the top of the class, only behind Mako, Shizuru and a few others.

But Shiina had no desire to get into her argument with her mother, and knew was only the tip of the iceberg; it tended to start with gentle prodding, before progressing to insistent nagging and then outright demanding. Shiina knew enough to do what her mother said while her mother was still asking nicely.

"All right, Mom," Shiina said reluctantly.

"That's good to hear, Shiina," Shiina's mother said. "Let me know how you do."

After concluding their conversation, Shiina hung up, and looked out her window, which had a view of the ocean. She wondered how far away they were from Japan right now, but suspected it was not far enough away from her mother.

* * *

_Present day_

"Helicopter parents do exist at Oarai," Shiina said, "and I believe my mom is one of the _less involved_ ones of that sort. It kind of defeats the point of school ships promoting independence when there are parents who still micromanage their kids."

Miho thought about Yukari, who, unlike most schoolchildren, lived with her parents on the ship where she went to school. The Akiyamas struck Miho as loving parents, even if Yukari's father was at a loss for how to deal with his daughter suddenly making friends. Since Yukari had stayed with her parents for so long, Miho wondered how they would react when the day came that she would have to move out to go to college or her first job.

"But did your mother influence you to join the student council, in the end?" Miho said.

"Good question, Miho," Shiina said, "and I could see that it might seem that way to you. For the next few weeks, I looked at the paper, looking for other clubs. The deadline my mom imposed for committing to a club was the end of the year, so for the moment, just looking was enough."

to see whether any other clubs would get axed right out of the blue while I was in them, only to find that _the entire school_ was being threatened with that. Soon, I saw Mikado-san's letter, discussed it with Shiina, and then joined them."

"How did your mother react to your doing tankery?" Nodoka said. "I recall that your fellow gamers joined the team-did you not do so as well?"

"Not exactly," Shiina said. "My mom wanted me to find another elective, but wasn't too keen on my doing tankery."

"And how does she feel about it now?" Nodoka said.

"My mom was fairly surprised to hear that I was _also_ doing tankery," Shiina said, "and not_ pleasantly_ so, I might add. She first asked me if I was quitting the Student Council so soon, and almost fell out of her chair when I said I was both Treasurer _and_ Anteater Team's gunner, _at the same time_. Mom doesn't think much of tankery and worries that it's a distraction from my duties, but accepts it because of Mikado-san's decision to involve the student council. If I have received a legal and reasonable order from my superior, she will not compel me to disobey."

Shizuru nodded, remembering speaking with Shiina's mother and assuring her that her daughter had met Shizuru's high standards. After a moment, Shizuru realized that there was something Shiina's mother may have overlooked.

"Did your mother not realize that this had precedent, Fujino-san?" Shizuru said. "Even Kadotani-senpai, for all she seemed to dislike work, was also Student Council President and Turtle Team's commander at the same time."

"Well, both positions involve giving orders, and she, being on top, could get away with it," Shiina said. "You'd have my head if I slacked off."

"Maybe so," Miho said, "But Kadotani-senpai also got involved when things turned desperate, gunning from the battle with St. Gloriana onward."

"That explains a great deal," Shizuru said. "But I do believe that while some battle are more important than others, there are times when how one does in the less important battles says a great deal more about one's personality."

"I didn't tell you how I became friends with Natsumi, did I?" Shiina said. "We first met when we were doing entrance interviews, and started on the path toward friendship when we got glimpses of each other outside our carefully constructed interview personas."

* * *

_3 years ago  
_

Shiina and Natsumi sat in a waiting room near Oarai's office of admissions as they waited for their turn for an interview. Natsumi wore a light blue pantsuit with a white dress shirt and red necktie. Shiina wore a black pinstriped skirt suit with a white dress shirt and a dark blue necktie. The two girls sat up straight and tried to remain poised for when the interviewer came for them, but the boredom was starting to get to them. Natsumi was reminded of the time she was drilled in sitting in seiza, while Shiina was reminded of some of the less fruitful days recruiting for her club in middle school, both being pursuits that the two girls regarded as being boring and having no clear benefit for them.

"They told us to come here at 11:30," Natsumi said, glancing at Shiina because she had no one else nearby with whom she could talk. "Why have us wait this long?"

"I don't know; it doesn't seem very well organized," Shiina said.

"Well, they could have been more honest about how we should expect to wait for this," Natsumi said.

"You have a point..." Shiina said, stopping awkwardly as she realized that she did not know Natsumi's name.

"Teradaira Natsumi," Natsumi said, in a slightly curt introduction that was phrased more as an answer to Shiina's question.

"Fujino Shiina," Shiina said, responding in kind.

"It's nice to meet you," they said, as they stood and bowed to each other.

For the next few minutes, Shiina and Natsumi made small talk to pass the time. Their tone was surprisingly informal for mere acquaintances, since neither saw any particular reason to try to impress the other.

A few minutes later, Natsumi was called in for her apointment.

"Teradaira Natsumi-san?" the official in charge of admissions called out froom her office

"Yes, ma'am?" Natsumi said, standing up at almost attention, straightening her necktie, and walking in gracefully.

"It's nice to meet you, Teradaira-san," the official said. "How have you found Oarai Academy so far?"

"Very good, ma'am!" Natsumi said pleasantly.

Shiina was taken aback, as Natsumi closed the door behind her. While she recognized that they had to dress and act their best for the interview, Natsumi's behavior defied expectations. Shiina had expected her to be polite, yet reserved, a bit like the conservative clothing she wore to the interview.

Several minutes later, Natsumi emerged from her preliminary entrance interview, a relatively short affair for students. Shiina, realizing that her turn would only come when she was called, remained seated and waiting.

"I hope to see you again some time, Fujino-san," Shiina said.

After a moment of hesitation in surprise that Natsumi remembered her name, Natsumi decided to share her thoughts with Shiina. Perhaps she would never see her again, but that was all the more reason to say it now.

"Teradaira-san," Shiina said, causing Natsumi to stop in her tracks. "You don't have to keep up the act any longer."

"W-who says I'm putting up an act?" Natsumi said, in the same informal tone she had used with Shiina earlier.

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Shiina said. "You try to get on the interviewer's good side, since she plays a significant role in whether you get in. It's even advantageous to be polite to the receptionist. By contrast, I'm no one important, and you'll probably never see me again, which is why you didn't go so far while we were waiting."

"Then why do you care about the image I project?" Natsumi said.

"It's more that I have a preference," Shiina said, "and I liked the you that I spoke with in the lobby more than the fake, constructed, intentionally appealing you that was presented to the interviewer."

Natsumi paused.

"You know, that's probably the first time someone's openly thought of it that way," Natsumi said. "Most people assume that when I'm acting like a 'good girl,' it's my real personality. In that regard, you're one of a relative few who's sincerely interested in getting to know me."

Shiina nodded.

"And Fujino-san?" Natsumi said. "You said that we might never meet again. While I can't deny that it might happen, I hope that's not the case."

"So do I, Teradaira-san," Shiina said."

As Natsumi spoke, she lapsed into a genuine smile.

Shiina hoped she would be able to meet with Natsumi again. She hoped to see more honest smiles, and share secrets with her.

* * *

_Present day_

"I've always found Natsumi's polite act to be somewhat off-putting," Shiina said. "For example, even back when we first met Mikado-san and Satou-san, she didn't use honorifics on me in private discussion, so it seemed the politeness was more for making a good impression on Mikado-san than out of respect for me."

"You've gotten used to it, though," Natsumi said. "You call me 'PR Rep' most of the time while we're on duty, save for a few cases that are more due to slipping up than an intentional refusal to do so."

"True," Shiina said. "And I do believe that you did help make a good impression for us back then. Compared to you, I'm less good at making a good professional façade."

"The things I do are the small things, that take hardly any effort," Natsumi said. "Smiling takes only a handful of muscles in your face. The amount of effort needed for polite speech- such as saying please and thank you, or putting an honorific after someone's name- is like the weight of a grain of sand, so small that it can't practically be measured, much less compared to your efforts."

Shiina raised an eyebrow.

"I've told you this before, Shiina, but I'd like to reiterate, it," Natsumi said. "Regardless of how much you complain about something, you ultimately do it in the end. You found another extracurricular activity, like your mother wanted, and when Mikado-san wants you to do something, she only has to ask once."

"It's easier that way," Shiina said. "Society makes it so that breaking the rules is less pleasant than following them. Working for a living might be a hassle, but being without a job is worse."

"Maybe so," Natsumi said, "but I've noticed that you've started going beyond the call of duty. You don't like studying, but you're at the top of the class. You're not fond of dressing up, but I've seen you in a suit on a few occasions. And choosing the Student Council is a fairly bold step for someone who was looking for an extracurricular activity."

"You might be right," Shiina said. "Of course, the president does remind me of many of the authority figures in my life, like my mom- someone I can't oppose, but someone I respect and like all the same."

* * *

_Just before the start of the year_

The day before the school year began, Oarai Academy was almost devoid of students. The only ones who were on school grounds were those who had special permission to be there, such as the Student Council and the disciplinary committee.

The Student Council, faced with the task of getting the office set up for the new year, was particularly grateful for the extra time before students came in and the tasks for which they needed their office began.

Shizuru read off a laundry list of tasks, including filing away old documents, cleaning the workspace, sorting things and so forth. Shiina, doing mental calculations, realized that completing all of them would take hours, even with the four of them. As she finished the calculations, she desperately hoped she had miscalculated, as Shizuru made yet another pronouncement.

"None of us are going home until this is finished," Shizuru said. She did not say it as a threat, but as a fact. There was no point in worrying about what she would do if any of the others tried to walk out on the work, because she would not allow it to happen.

But Shiina realized, as Shizuru got to work, that "us" included herself. Shizuru had repeatedly complained about Anzu's tendency to delegate the work to Yuzu, so she had no desire to end up as a hypocrite. She expected her subordinates to help out, but she believed it was her duty to chip in as well.

Shiina could not help but respect that part of Shizuru, and saw her as not merely a taskmaster, but someone who asked those who worked under her to work as hard as she did. If Shizuru worked hard, then Shiina would do the same. If Shizuru cared about her position, perhaps Shiina would start to feel the same way.

The cleaning and office preparation soon finished, and Shiina knew that this was a simple task compared to what was to come. But they had faced it together, and would face the future challenges as a united student council.

_"You know, I'm actually starting to feel glad I joined them,"_ Shiina thought.

* * *

_Present day_

"Back then, I started to understand why Mikado-san led the way she did," Shiina said. "I never fully internalized her grievances against the Kadotani administration, though."

"I never expected you to do so, Fujino-san," Shizuru said, "merely to support me in governing Oarai fo the sake of the student body. I must say that your work ethic has improved significantly since we started."

Natsumi nodded.

"I actually sympathize with Shiina, as well as anyone else who gets involved in something against their will and gradually learns to like it," Natsumi said, turning to Miho as she spoke.

"Are you referring to me, Natsumi-san?" Miho said. "If you are, I'd say that the key factor is to do it for your own reasons, rather than the ones you're told to do it for."

"For me, the activity I entered against my will was etiquette lessons as a young girl," Natsumi said. "You're quite polite, Miho, but of all of us, I'd say that only Hana and Mikado-san come close to the exacting standards set by my teacher. And while I did say that individually, these small gestures of politeness weighed as much as a grain of sand, keeping them all up was an act of precision, like keeping grains of sand balanced on the tips of my fingers."

"What sort of expectations were these?" Miho said.

"All sorts," Natsumi said. "To use an example, let's say I had to meet someone in a restaurant, with my teacher present as an observer. The moment I walked in the door, I would be judged on my clothing, my hair, and whether I was on time. Upon meeting this person, what I said, the tone of voice I used, how much I made eye contact and how low I bowed would be scrutinized. This isn't even getting into the food. The things I'm graded on run the gamut from those that are common sense to those that are far too obscure for most people to fully understand."

"So what happened if you went out of line?" Nodoka said.

"I would be reminded of it, of course," Natsumi said, "and if I kept on making that mistake, my parents would hear about it. Not unlike Shiina, I soon learned that conforming to their expectations was the easier choice. I do have to wonder whether my parents would be happy if my personality was completely overwritten and replaced by that of the good girl they hoped I would be."

"I can't speak for them, but _I wouldn't_ be happy," Shiina said.

"It's a bit more difficult for me to keep up the act around my peers," Natsumi said, "just like it's difficult to walk to school as though you're walking on a tightrope. When I'm greeting someone in a higher position, I have to be careful what I say and how formally I say it, how I bow, things such as posture and eye contact, when to get up, and so forth. By comparison, the first time I called Shiina by her first name without honorifics, it was more or less a spur of the moment decision, made on the assumption that I could apologize and call her 'Fujino-san' again if she got offended."

"I certainly didn't get offended," Shiina said. "In fact, I was waiting to work up the nerve to ask her the same thing, but she beat me to it."

"Difficult or not, natural or not, your ability to be polite and get along with others is a great asset to the student council, Teradaira-san," Shizuru said. "When I saw you introduce yourself and Fujino-san, I knew it was not indicative of your true personality, but indicative of how well you could present yourself, and what kind of face you could put on. I'm glad to have you as my PR rep"

"Thanks, Mikado-san," Natsumi said, her tone polite but less formal than it was usually. "For saying that I'm doing well at my job, and accepting the person I am off of it."

Natsumi had reached the end of her story, so Miho and Nodoka hoped to hear more about the others.

"I don't think we heard much about you, Mikado-san," Miho said. "We know why you decided to start your campaign, but what led you to feel that way about the Kadotani administration?"

"For me, Nishizumi-san, it's an issue of respect," Shizuru said. "My family is somewhat well off, and my father has fairly traditional ideas of family. He is the head of the household, and expects obedience from the rest of the family; ours is a somewhat patriarchal family. Father realizes that I will not necessarily become a housewife just like Mother was, but he has raised me to respect and obey authority figures, and to see him as the first one I must obey."

* * *

_12 years ago_

A young Shizuru, about to enter school for the first time, was getting one of many lectures about what her father expected out of her at school. A part of her found this boring and redundant, but she had gotten severely scolded for even implying this sentiment, and had no desire to go through that again.

"While you are at school, you are to obey the teachers, like you would obey me," Shizuru's father. "Their job is to teach you, and that's the job of the school as a whole."

"Is it at all like what you do at work, Father?" Shizuru said. "I thought you were in charge when you talked about your employees."

Shizuru's father shook his head.

"I am the head of my department, but not the overall leader," Shizuru's father said. "I work under a division head, who in turn reports to the CEO, who has his own responsibilities to the board and to the shareholders."

"So, Father, your boss has a boss of his own?" Shizuru said.

"That's right," Shizuru's father said. "There will always be authority figures above you, and they deserve your respect. I was once a subodinate, and eventually became a leader for my company, with many people who not only obey me, but also look to me for guidance as their leader. Someday, you will attain a position of responsibility, in which you command the obedience of others; you must conduct yourself respectably to be worthy of your subordinates' trust and respect."

Shizuru noddeed. Some of what her father said was still beyond her understanding, but she believed it would be a great honor- and a great responsibility- to be in a position of leadership above others. The one thing that, more than anything else, drove her onward was the desire to be worthy of such responsibility.

* * *

_Present day_

"In my opinion, if you want to be a good parent, you should make it clear what you expect of your children, and what the consequences are for good and bad behavior," Shizuru said. "Of course, it also works for adults."

Shiina nodded, reminded of her relationship with Shizuru. Shizuru made it very clear that if Shiina's work was not up to standards, she would be dismissed from her position, and have to explain it to her mother. But Shizuru also placed such standards on Natsumi, Ayano, and even herself.

"My elementary school, a private school for girls, had a system of gradually increasing rights and responsibilities," Shizuru said. "For example, in fourth grade, girls have to start wearing the uniform; some lamented losing the ability to dress as they wished, but others saw it as a nice step upward, having admired their uniform-wearing senpais from a distance.

"That sounds somewhat well-structured and possibly even strict," Nodoka said, remembering the time when her friends from Achiga learned they would have to wear a school uniform. Shizuno had lamented no longer being able to wear her tracksuit all the time, prompting Ako to joke that Nodoka already wore the same thing all the time. Kuro, however, was looking forward to wearing the same uniform as her older sister.

"That's only half of it, Haramura-san," Shizuru said. "The rules were well-enforced and the students were often reminded of them. But there is also a fair amount of freedom; as long as you do not do anything you are explicitly not allowed to do, the teachers are quite helpful and supportive."

Miho nodded in agreement. Shizuru was open with her about the Student Council's business, but knew that leading the tankey team was not her responsibility, but Miho's.

"One privilege the older children got was the ability to lead a club in fifth or sixth grade- participation in them becomes allowed in second grade and becomes mandatory in fourth grade," Shizuru continued. "Said club leaders are under the supervision of a teacher who is club advisor, who has veto power over any of their decisions. But the students are recognized as the leaders of the clubs, some of which they themselves started."

"So were you on the Student Council back then, Mikado-san?" Miho said.

"No, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said. "Student government was not my interest at the time, and my school's student council was essentially them playing at being student leaders. Father believed it had no authority, and so told me my time would be better spent elsewhere."

"So what did you do?" Miho said.

"After a few years in the arts and crafts club, I started a literature club with several of my friends and kouhais," Shizuru said. "It was a small undertaking by most people's standards, but it meant a great deal to me at the time."

"I understand," Miho said. "Some of my happiest memories in tankery before coming to Oarai were when I played in a tank with three of my old friends in elementary school. I thus have some understanding and appreciation for the value of humbler pursuits for the young."

"Indeed," Shizuru said. "I knew I would take on more ambitious steps in the future, but at the time, saw that first step for what it was."

* * *

_7 years ago_

Shizuru sat and waited in the headmistress' office of her elementary school. Her request had been submitted to the headmistress and had passed the first stage, so Shizuru had to meet with an advisor to discuss it more in depth.

Shizuru recognized the name of the teacher she was to met with, Tanizaki Kaname, as it was the same one as the one she had in third grade. She also recognized the headmistress of her school, an older woman witha dark suit, even if she did not remember her actual name.

"It's been a while, Shizuru-chan... or should I say, Mikado-san?" Kaname said, shifting to the more formal address used on older students.

Her teacher couldn't help but feel proud that one of her old students was now standing before her, wearing a uniform and there to make her proposal for a club reality.

But Shizuru's view of the teacher had not changed at all. She still owed her respect, all the more when asking for her help.

"Yes, it has, Tanizaki-sensei," Shizuru said.

"I received your report from the headmistress," Kaname said. "We considered your club worth our consideration, but would like to find out a few more details from you."

With the headmistress sitting in on the conversation, Kaname asked her several questions about the club, from the kind of books that would be allowed. Shizuru had prepared for some of the questions, but others took her by surprise.

To Shizuru's surprise, the headmistress nodded in approval.

"Very well, I approve the creation of the club," the headmistress said. "It will officially begin meeting after school next Monday under Mikado-san's leadership and Kurosawa-sensei's guidance."

The headmistress left, and Kaname remained behind to talk to Shizuru alone.

"To be honest, sensei," Shizuru said. "I... had not thought about all those questions before."

"You did better than most, Mikado-san," Shizuru's old teacher said. "We teachers exist to teach you, after all. And in the case of clubs, we help direct the students' enthusiasm and allow them to build a good club on their passions. I would be happy to watch over you as your faculty advisor."

"Thank you, sensei," Shizuru said. "But it's not my passion alone. All the girls who petitioned for this club dearly wanted it, so it's my responsibility to help them."

After the meeting ended, Shizuru met the club members, a variety of girls from the second through sixth grades.

"How did the meeting go, Mikado-senpai?" one third grader said. She, faced with the prospect of being required to join a club next year, desperately hoped Shizuru's proposal would be accepted.

"Very well," Shizuru said. "We now have a faculty advisor, and soon, our club will be officially approved."

The students cheered. If anything had kept Shizuru going, it was the knowledge that they were all counting on her.

"Thank you, President Mikado!" one friend of Shizuru's who was otherwise on a first-name basis with her, said.

Shizuru nodded. Not one for an acceptance speech, she only had one thing to say before she got down to business.

"Thank you," she said. "I won't let you down."

* * *

_Present day_

"It was my first taste of authority," Shizuru said. "I realized what responsibilities I would have to my subordinates, and how I would need to conduct myself in order to be an effective leader."

"This might sound somewhat direct," Miho said hesitantly, "but if you respect your leaders, why did you openly criticize Kadotani-senpai?"

"That's a good question, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said. "My father also said that leaders do owe their subordinates a fair amount. They must conduct themselves in a respectable manner, be honest and be fair."

Miho nodded slightly, understanding where Shizuru was going.

"So ask yourself, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said. "Can a leader who lays down on the job, as Kadotani-senpai was wont to do as president, truly be considered respectable? Is there anything honest about keeping the danger that the school is in secret from the others? And is it fair to expect a new student to join tankery by using coercive means?"

Miho faintly shook her head. She was grateful for the opportunity to get to know the student council, and was staring to understand them more and like them better. But she got along with the Kadotani administration and had a certain level of sympathy for them. As such, while Miho understood why Shizuru would criticize them, she could not fully agree with her.

"Kadotani-senpai did help out where it counted," Miho said, "and she had her reasons for keeping it secret; to avoid demoralizing the populace or putting too much pressure on me."

"I know the Kadotani administration had their reasons," Shizuru said, "which is why I did try to be polite when I criticized to them. I referred to them by their titles, kept my tone civil, and mentioned that it was my opinion."

"And last week, we got an op-ed criticizing us for seemingly favoring tankery over the clubs that got cut," Shiina said. "What goes around, comes around, I guess."

"The article was polite and well-written, Fujino-san, so they had as much of a right to say that about us as I had to say what I did about the Kadotani administration," Shizuru said. "I appreciate well-thought out and polite criticism, which is why I am friends with Ayano."

* * *

_Two years ago_

Early in the year, Ayano met with Shizuru, then class representative of her class, to discuss her tardiness earlier that day, which had essentially resulted in her getting an unexcused absence on her record. Ayano was not enough of a perfectionist to be very upset over this, nor was she absent enough that she would get in serious trouble over it, but she felt the rule was unfair, and as such, hoped to change it.

"Class rep, do you have a minute?" Ayano said.

"Certainly, Satou-san,"Shizuru said.

"I apologize for my lateness and make no excuses for it," Ayano said, "but I do question the wisdom of the policy of marking students absent so soon after the bell."

"On what grounds?" Shizuru said, hoping Ayano would give well-reasoned support for her position.

"First, it seems to be an arbitrary cutoff point," Ayano said. "Second, if students are late enough, they will likely not bother showing up at all."

"Perhaps it is, Satou-san," Shizuru said. "But if I may ask, what would you do?"

"I would award attendance credit based on how much of the day the students attended," Ayano said. "Obviously, we would want students to have as close to perfect attendance as possible, but we would count partial absences separate from complete absences."

"The principle is a good one," Shizuru said. "But it would be a somewhat difficult system to maintain, for a relatively small number of people. For example, when I was absent last Friday due to the stomach flu, I knew from the beginning I would not be able to make it at all."

Shizuru briefly considered mentioning the exact moment she realized- when she vomited her breakfast on her school uniform

"So are you saying that we cannot do anything of the sort right now?" Ayano said.

Shizuru was tempted to say yes, but paused to consider her answer.

"I am not the person that you would have to speak with to make the changes," Shizuru said. "You would need to speak to Sono Midoriko-senpai, head of the disciplinary committee, or President Kadotani Anzu. However, the former is quite inflexible about the rules, and the latter is, to put it bluntly, somewhat unwilling to change the status quo."

"Then I'll bring it up with the people who have the authority," Ayano said. "I'm sorry for wasting your time, Class Rep."

"Not at all, Satou-san," Shizuru said. "This is an issue that you evidently care about and have given some thought to, so I am always glad to talk with you about it."

"Thank you, Class Rep," Ayano said. "I will gladly take you up on your offer."

"Feel free to do so, Satou-san," Shizuru said, "but if you do so, please do not call me by my title. This is not something I do as class representative, but as an individual."

Ayano nodded in agreement, glad that Shizuru was stepping outside of her role.

"Nice to meet you," she said as she and Shizuru exchanged bows, hoping it would be the start of a pleasant and lasting friendship.

* * *

_Present day_

"Over time, we gradually became friends," Ayano said. "As you may have noticed, Nishizumi-san, but Shizuru is significantly more relaxed and less formal when it's just the two of us."

Miho nodded, noticing Shizuru's relaxed tone and forgoing honorifics on Ayano, fairly significant gestures from someone as polite as her.

"Ayano is not just my best friend, but what I would consider an ideal subordinate," Shizuru said. "She's willing to share her disagreements with me in an intelligent and courteous manner. I have little use for those who make ill-founded criticisms, and even less for those who blindly follow me."

"What about you, Satou-senpai?" Nodoka said. "What were you doing before you met Mikado-senpai?"

"There's not all that much to discuss," Ayano said. "I tend to judge things in terms of the hard facts and leave my feelings and personal experiences out of it. But I do have one experience that illustrates why I think the way I do- the circumstances behind my coming to Oarai Academy."

"How exactly did you come here?" Nodoka said. "Did you perhaps not want to?"

"In certain decisions, desire is beside the point, Haramura-san," Ayano said. "My family is not especially well off, so Oarai seemed like a relatively affordable place while still being of reasonable quality. And when a scholarship was offered, one designed to entice students to transfer over, particularly if their school ship did not have a high school on it, my parents urged me to apply for it."

"What if you didn't get it?" Nodoka said.

"I did ultimately succeed, Haramura-san," Ayano said, "so I can only speculate what would have happened if I had not. But my parents weren't- and still aren't- desperate or strict enough to punish me for my failure, since it was a highly competitive merit-based scholarship. Dozens, or perhaps hundreds, of girls in my age group back then applied, and only ten were chosen."

Miho could not help but be intimidated by the odds, and was also surprised at how comfortable Ayano seemed talking about them. Perhaps if she had gotten involved in tankery early in life, she would have fit in at the Nishizumi school, unlike most of Miho's school mates.

"I was also class representative of my class at the time," Ayano said. "Not only was it an early position of responsibility for me, but through it, my path crossed with that of one of my rivals for the scholarship. That experience gave a human face to my competition for the scholarship, reminding me who I was up against and why I would have to prove myself worthy."

* * *

_3 years ago_

Ayano arrived at school on her middle school, a small public middle school ship.

In homeroom, Ayano was approached by one of her classmates, Misaki Koyomi. Koyomi recognized the red armband around Ayano's blue sailor fuku, the same shade of red as her neckerchief, that said "Class Representative, Class 3-C" in white text.

"Class rep, I have a question for you," Koyomi said. "Where do I turn in the scholarship application form?"

"There should be a box in the principal's office, Misaki-san," Ayano said. "Would you like me to run it over for you, or can you handle it yourself?"

"No, thank, you," Koyomi said, not wanting to impose on Ayano. "I can do it myself. I just want to make sure this gets in."

"You seem fairly invested in getting this," Ayano said idly, almost without realizing that she was voicing her thoughts.

"I am," Koyomi said. "My dad lost his job, and the family's short on money. If I don't qualify for the scholarship..."

Koyomi trailed off, not wanting to think about the possibility or admit any more of her personal troubles to others.

"No, I think I understand, Misaki-san," Ayano said, "and I won't ask about anything you're not willing to disclose yourself. I wish you the best of luck, and hope you will be able to get the scholarship."

"Thank you, class rep," Koyomi said.

"Good day, Misaki-san," Ayano said.

As Koyomi walked off to turn in her application, Ayano glanced at her. If she knew that Ayano was a rival for the scholarship, then she was not letting it on. There were some things that one could confide in a relative stranger, which was why Ayano was surprised that Koyomi let that detail slip, and why she chose not to pursue this matter further.

* * *

That evening, after school, Ayano, thinking back to what Koyomi had said, retrieved the packet with the information on the scholarship, and flipped through it. Ayano found clear standards and rules to be comforting; you knew what you had to do, and either you were in compliance or you were not.

For this reason, it was comforting that there would be ten winners for the scholarship from the Ibaraki prefecture, all girls who would be attending high school in the next academic year. But while she had some idea of how many rivals she had, she had less of an idea of how likely she would be to win. The little talking about how the winners were chosen said that they would be chosen based on several factors, such as academic performance and financial need.

But how much weight did each factor have? Who was making the decision? What were their standards, exactly?

Ayano realized that these thoughts were getting her nowhere, and decided to put them out of her head. There was no apparent appeal process, nor was there any way of improving her chances once she had sent the application in. Now that the application was in the mail, everything was out of her hands. All she, Koyomi and the others who were applying could do was wait for and live with the outcome. She knew that their decision was by no means easy, and would acknowledge that, even if she ended up wishing they would have chosen differently.

* * *

A few weeks later, in the morning before school, Ayano opened her mail, and found a letter from those offering the scholarship. On the official looking letter, one word stood out most of all- "Congratulations."

Ayano quickly filed the letter away and made her way to class.

"Good morning, class rep," Koyomi said politely, as Ayano arrived in class.

After responding with a "Good morning" of her own, Ayano glanced over Koyomi. She had a smile on her face, but it was mainly the polite kind that showed friendliness to a relative stranger. There were no indications that Koyomi had been crying recently, even though the result had been delivered to Ayano this morning.

Ayano had to wonder-had Koyomi been accepted or rejected? Had she been notified? Had she even checked her mail this morning? Nothing she could glean from her gave her any indication of the answer, and Koyomi was unwilling to tell her. Koyomi's expression did change, however, to one of concern, but that concern was for Ayano.

"Is something wrong, class rep?" Koyomi said.

After pausing a moment, and wondering whether her expression on her face revealed what she was thinking about, Ayano composed herself.

"No, Misaki-san, it's nothing," Ayano said.

Ayano's answer was truthful. She was content with the result, and believed that she deserved what she was given. All that she could do was make the most of it, to prove that the decision to award the scholarship to her was the best one.

* * *

_Present day_

"I never heard from Misaki-san about what her result was," Ayano said. "Perhaps she didn't want to brag about it, or didn't want me to pity her- Shizuru was the first person I told about my result, and only incidentally. Or, win or lose, she perhaps understood that because the scholarship was competitive, with the best winning and even good candidates being turned down, neither she nor I should take it personally if it happened to us."

"I think I understand how she feels," Miho said. "In my family, it's often stressed that we must compete for what we need. I understand the principle of giving prizes like scholarships to those who deserve them most, but at the same time, many of those who would deserve them get left out"

"That's unfortunately true, Nishizumi-san, but I also considered the perspective of those who made that decision," Ayano said. "So many people needed help and so few could qualify. It thus stood to reason that they could only choose those who needed and deserved it most."

"So, Satou-senpai, do you think they chose well in awarding the scholarship to you?" Nodoka said.

Ayano cautiously nodded.

"I believe I needed the scholarship, although it's harder to say how much greater my need was than that of the others," Ayano said. "As for whether I deserved it, I intend to demonstrate that I do."

"So that's why you feel the way you do about the clubs whose budgets are cut," Miho said.

"All the clubs are having some difficulties to various degrees," Ayano said. "For example, I have a friend in the archery club who says they make the members pay for broken arrows and targets out of their own pockets, regardless of how or why they get broken. It's a somewhat controversial policy, but the team captain has no intention of repealing it. And the archery club is one of the more popular clubs besides tankery, as an elective as well as a club."

"So even the well-supported clubs are having trouble..." Miho said to herself. She wondered if she should tell the club leaders who were her classmates, but she realized that they had made up their minds.

"Exactly," Ayano said. "I can't claim that the burden is evenly distributed, but we all have to make do with less. We at the Student Council have been trying to cut down on our operating expenses."

Shiina coughed. "Like not buying 100,000 yen worth of sweet potatoes on the school budget," she said before coughing again.

Natsumi snickered, but Miho and Nodoka were distracted from the sound by another sound they never expected to hear- Shizuru laughing out loud.

"_Only_ 100,000 yen worth, Fujino-san?" Shizuru said as she composed herself. "I should think that with Kadotani-senpai's appetite for those, it would not last her very long."

"She's talking about the banquet we held for our victory, namely, the first prize," Nodoka said. "At the time, I didn't understand why Hisa-senpai suggested that our team would only get second place at best, but now it makes more sense if they rigged it in favor of Turtle Team."

"So do you think Takei-senpai was in on it?" Shiina said.

"I think she knew Kadotani-senpai well enough to know what she'd do," Nodoka said, and Miho nodded in agreement. "But as for whether she was complicit, I can only guess."

"The old Student Council didn't always agree," Miho said. "Kadotani-senpai and Kawashima-senpai tended to go along with things that Hisa-senpai and Koyama-senpai did not necessarily approve of, such as calling me in, and there were various other divisions, such as Kawashima-senpai and Koyama-senpai wanting to tell us about Oarai being on the line."

Shizuru nodded. It would not be entirely accurate to say this was what she expected, but what she heard seemed plausible.

"That's understandable," Shizuru said. "Democratic governments also require those who disagree with each other to be able to cooperate for the good of a nation. Ayano and I may not always see eye to eye, but because she neither shies away from those subjects nor sees it as an impediment to working together with me, I respect her."

"I have a confession, though, Nishizumi-san," Ayano said. "Had I been on the student council last year, I would have considered the possibility of forcing you to take tankery."

"I see," Miho said solemnly. A part of her regretted her initial reluctance on an emotional level, even though, logically, she knew she could not have known about the school being imperiled. But having gotten to know the Kadotani administration, she understood how far they were willing to go, and thus had some comprehension of Ayano's perspective, since among the Mikado administration, she was the most sympathetic to their predecessors.

"Simply put, I see no reason for people who can contribute something for the sake of the school in a time of crisis not to do so," Ayano said, before her expression warmed. "Of course, it's better for all concerned that you do so willingly, so I'm grateful that you decided to help us on your own will, Nishizumi-san."

"You're welcome," Miho said. "But you should also thank Takebe Saori-san and Isuzu Hana-san. They, my first friends at Oarai, stood up for me and gave me the courage necessary to make my decision."

"How about you, Satou-senpai?" Nodoka said pointedly, wanting to know how Ayano contributed to Oarai's victory apart from placing expectations on Miho. "What did you contribute?"

Ayano paused to consider how to reply without seeming self-righteous or arogant. But whle she was thinking, Shizuru spoke first.

"After my letter was published, I was considering what we could do to keep the school going until next year," Shizuru said. "But where I seemed doubtful about any way we could help apart from this tournament in which we had little hope of winning, Ayano was more certain, knowing that every bit counted, and willing to make sacrifices of he own."

* * *

_Last year_

Ayano walked home with Shizuru the day after Shizuru' letter was published, and she was summoned to the Student Council room.

"I heard the Student Council is collecting money for tankery-related purchases," Shizuru said, "since the only hope for us to keep our school open is to win the tournament.

"Are you going to contribute?" Ayano said.

Shizuru shrugged.

"I honestly don't think this is a problem that can be solved with money alone," Shizuru said, "whether we're talking about winning the tournament or the issues that led the government to plan on shutting us down. I am also honestly not sure how well the student council's going to use the money."

"But...?" Ayano said expectantly. "That doesn't seem to be all there is to your stance on this, Shizuru."

"You're perceptive as always, Ayano," Shizuru said. "From what we heard, there are no available tanks open. As inexperienced as the others are, they're still leagues beyond where we would be. At this point, giving money and lending our support are all people like use, without much power or experience in tankery, can do. I do feel like we're placing all our hopes on Nishizumi-san, though."

"Maybe that's why the student council joined the tankery team themselves, after getting us all involved in this tournament," Ayano said. "They wanted to take on their share of the responsibility. But most of all, they wanted to do something- _anything-_ to stop the school from being closed."

Shizuru let off a sigh. Her and Ayano's options as ordinary students were limited, but she felt as though her conscience would never be clear if she did nothing.

"You're right," Shizuru said. "I'll do what I can."

"So will I," Ayano said, as she neared the spot where her and Shizuru's routes home diverged. "I'll see you tomorrow, Shizuru."

"See you then, Ayano," Shizuru said, as she walked off toward her apartment.

* * *

Ayano, after returning to her apartment, opened up a piggy bank, which contained a few thousand yen she had saved and used to treat herself, such as dessert, a new book, or other such things she bought once she had paid for the necessities. While she did momentarily think of what she was giving up, she found the prospect of doing what she could to save her favorite ice cream place and bookstore from being closed along with the ship all the more reason to contribute to the cause.

Ayano counted out the money, and calculated the total. It was likely small compared to what a club could raise, and smaller still compared to what kind of expenses the team was facing. But this was her contribution to her school's efforts, her way of giving all she could.

The next morning, Ayano, her donation concealed inside her fist, walked to the donation can that Gomoyo was holding. The disciplinary committee, in addition to policing Oarai Academy, also dealt with some of the work for the student council, such as distribution and collection. A member of the committee was dispatched to each class, with most classes done by one of the members who attended them.

Gomoyo heard the clank as coins fell into the can, and thanked Ayano, evidently not knowing how much Ayano had given; the bills Ayano had dropped in there, the greatest portion of her donation, had fallen in almost silently. To Gomoyo, the amount mattered less than the fact that she was giving, and she'd given the same thanks to everyone, from one girl with a large bag full of coins to one who fished out some pocket change.

As far as Ayano knew, Gomoyo did not recognize her or know her name, and that was how she wanted it. It was a small donation, albeit a personal sacrifice, but while it was not enough to save the school, and would have to be combined with many others to be able to purchase anything significant, Ayano hoped to do her part.

* * *

_Present day_

"I won't say how much I gave," Ayano said, "since I consider it a matter of duty and principle, and have no wish to brag. But it was simply what I felt I was obligated to do, and _could_ do, to help keep our school going."

"Unfortunately, Satou-senpai," Nodoka said, "it seems your assumptions about there not being any available tanks were correct. The auto club volunteered to deal with the Porsche Tiger, while the gamer girls not only offered their services, but also found their tank. Nevertheless, I appreciate your contribution."

"Regardless of the amount, every bit every student gave was quite helpful, Satou-san," Miho said. "So I'll say to you what I say to everyone else who helped us in what way they could- thank you."

Miho, while not religious, had read the Bible before, and found the story of the woman who gave the only two coins she had to the temple a touching one.

"That's what I consider leadership about," Ayano said, "making difficult decisions and sacrifices for the sake of those under you, while inspiring others to do the same. You don't do so to be admired or thanked, but because it's right and so that others will do the same."

"You and Mikado-san do seem to be good friends, Satou-san," Miho said. "How exactly is your relationship affected by your professional one?"

"I tend to think of her as two different people," Ayano said. "Shizuru is the person I became friends with. President Mikado, however, chose me as a subordinate because she knew enough about me to have faith in my skills and personality."

* * *

_Last Year_

In a somewhat last-minute campaign, Oarai elected its new student council.

As one of the few groups to put forth an organized effort, Shizuru's team was easily elected. Some of Oarai knew that Anzu's deal had enabled the school to keep going, but they saw Miho and most of the others on the tournament team as their saviors. A large portion thus believed Oarai was in need of new leadership, and the greatest portion of those saw Shizuru's group as th ones best suited to the task.

"It's going to be quite an adjustment," Shiina said at a small victory celebration at a local restaurant. "We're no longer ordinary students, but now have inherited the responsibility of running a school that nearly went under."

"To be honest, you'll have to get used to it," Shizuru said. "While doing student council work, or on student council business, I ask that we refer to each other by our titles."

"Why is that?" Shiina said.

"It's a matter of professionalism," Shizuru said. "But it's also to recognize that we're acting within the context of our roles. For example, I, as an individual, may feel a certain way, but my obligations as president may require me to take an entirely different course of action, and it's important to recognize the person's role.."

The three other members nodded in consent. They had recalled that Shizuru disapproved of the Kadotani administration's lack of professionalism, so this was not news to them, even if Shiina was a bit surprised she was taking it this far.

"Even you and your best friend?" Shiina said, and Ayano nodded.

"We discussed this at length earlier, Vice President," Ayano said. "I am here because _the president_ believes I am an asset to her administration. My friendship with Shizuru is separate from our professional relationship."

"I understand, Treasurer," Shiina said. Throughout the campaign, she and Ayano had addressed each other by their last name and -san, so speaking with each other formally came naturally to them, even if they had to adjust to doing the same for their respective best friends. "Although I still don't understand why the president made you treasurer, rather than vice president."

"Her talents were best suited to the position, just as yours were for the vice president position," Shizuru said. "Additionally, I can keep an eye on you and ensure that you don't slack off."

"Yes, ma'am," Shiina said with a sigh.

"You know, Vice President," Shizuru said, "I do actually like the sound of that. Feel free to call me that as an alternative to 'President,' if you so desire."'

Shina could not help but let off a nervous chuckle as she realized what sort of person she would be working under for the the next school year. It was obvious at this point that this was not the easy way of appeasing her mother Shiina had hoped for. In spite of that, perhaps it would be worthwhile in its own way, and Shiina might even end up enjoying it

* * *

_At the start of the year_

As Shizuru settled into her office, she looked out the window, over the school ship below. She had come into the office a few times, even before her meeting with Anzu, but had never gotten a chance to simply look at the view.

Down below her was Oarai Academy, which was not all there was on the carrier, but it was the carrier's primary reason to exist. The school was now her responsibility to keep going, and hand it off to the next generation of students, much like she had inherited it herself.

The phone began to ring, and Shizuru picked it up.

"Oarai Student Council office, President Mikado Shizuru speaking, how can I help you?" Shizuru said.

"Hey there, Mikado-chan; it's Kadotani, " Anzu said. "How's Oarai doing? Is it still open?"

"Yes, it is, Kadotani-senpai," Shizuru said, wondering why Anzu would ask such a question. "

"Then we set out to accomplish what we could do, and did as much as we could," Anzu said. "We'd like to stay around and handle the rest, since the job of keeping a school together is not one you can accomplish in a year. But for now, it's your job. You've got difficult times ahead of yours, different in many ways from our final year or the year before it. So let me see if you can do a better job than we did."

"I'll do my best," Shizuru said.

"Well, that's about all I had to say," Anzu said.

"Goodbye for now, Kadotani-senpai," Shizuru said. "The next time we meet, I hope to have an answer for you."

"See ya around, Mikado-chan," Anzu said, before hanging up.

After the call ended and the other student council members got to their work, Shizuru looked out the window, over the Oarai school ship. This was her responsibility now, and it was up to her to govern it as well as possible.

* * *

_Present day_

"Now that I think about it..." Shizuru said, "when Kadotani-senpai called, she seemed far less arrogant and self-righteous than she normally was when it came to her decision."

Ayano nodded.

"She believed that what she did was for the best, but it wasn't perfect," Ayano said. "Kadotani-senpai's task was to forestall an imminent threat to the school, lest all her planning be rendered null and void. Our task is to ensure Oarai's long-term survival and success as an educational institution. She'd accomplished what she'd set out to do, but realized there were many issues left unresolved. "

"But that doesn't mean that I have to agree with her," Shizuru said. "And it doesn't mean that it's impossible for us to do better."

"Fair enough, Shizuru," Ayano said.

"And later that day, we called you and Haramura-san in," Shizuru said. "We had heard of both of you before, but this was the first time we had properly met."

"I know," Miho said, "and I think I now understand the context for that meeting better. I, too, have a similar goal, hoping that the tankery team will remain present and successful for years to come."

"Your task will not be easy, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said. "But it's also one that you won't face alone, as it's a responsibility that must be carried on by Haramura-san and all the others who come after you. You have the duty to ensure that those who come after you are prepared for the challenges they will face, and so do we."

"That sounds like good advice, Mikado-san," Miho said. "I appreciate you sharing your story with us."

"Feel free to share this story with anyone who asks," Shizuru said. "We see transparency as of the utmost importance."

Miho and Nodoka nodded, and got up to leave. They faced a starkly different struggle this year, but their values and their goals remained the same. As long as they had the support of their team, they believed they could find a way to accomplish both.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Incidentally, Natsumi and Ayano's given names, as well as Natsumi's last name, come from canon Saki student council members from Kiyosumi, although their personalities don't match, and Natsumi's names don't come from the same person.

Edited to fix a few minor typos and add in other things, as well as remove an outdated note about the poll.

**Character Analysis: Shizuru Mikado**

The President of the Student Council. Shizuru had many disagreements with Anzu's leadership, not just over the decision to keep Oarai's impending shutdown secret. She dislikes Anzu's laid-back demeanor, preferring a more dignified approach to student governance. Shizuru believes that Anzu's laissez-faire policy is a mistake, with an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure.

Shizuru is strongly principled, but also somewhat aware of how things work. Ayano's pragmatic objections prevent her from pursuigng her ideals when they become impractical.

Shizuru is brutally honest, but not to the point of being rude. She believes that people make their best decisions when properly informed, even when the information is unpleasant, yet another reason why she believes Miho should have been told about the school's possible closure.

She is slightly aloof from most of the student body save for Ayano, although while on their duties, the two act professionally to each other. She believes that it's a matter of professionalism, but over time, finds herself getting closer to those she trusts most, including Natsumi, Shiina and Miho.

As Shizuru spends more time in her position of authority, she realizes more and more that things do not always go as she imagines, and her choices are not always easy. Perhaps she will never fully agree with Anzu's decisions, but she may yet come to understand why Anzu did what she did.

**Character Analysis: Shiina Fujino**

Shiina is the relative idealist of the group, as well as the one for whom maintaining a calm and stoic facade comes the least easily.

Shiina tends to go with the flow in most cases; she dislikes working hard, but realizes that the consequences for not working are worse than actually doing it. She's somewhat more empathetic with the student body than the others are, since she has the least experience in student government.

Shiina sees Shizuru as something of a harsh taskmaster, but genuinely respects her, even if she does occasionally believe that she expects too much of Miho. Shiina has also long been friends with Natsumi, preferring her more sour personality off duty to what she sees as a sickeningly sweet persona. Despite her disagreements with the more pragmatic Ayano, they get along and respect each other, which one day may become friendship.

Of course, Shiina is also leading a double life of sorts, as the gamers of Anteater Team know her as a significantly different person than her friends on the Student Council do. That will change over time, as her roles in each mix together through the tankery team. She realizes the connections between them, though; she works hard for the student council for the sake of the school where her friends from both groups go, and does her best in tankery for the sake of her teammates and the student council's mission. Through it all, much to her surprise, she's also starting to enjoy working hard more, or at least is forgetting that she ever disliked these responsibilities that she chose to take on.

**Character Analysis: Natsumi Teradaira**

On the outside, Natsumi is a cheerful, polite and affable individual. If you were to meet with the Oarai Academy Student Council, she would be the one to greet you warmly, offer you something to drink, and wish you a pleasant day on your way out.

In reality, Natsumi is not entirely like she is on the outside, being somewhat aloof and detached, suppressing this personality to make a good impression on people, as well as conform to people's expectations of her. Contrary to her expectations, though, her long-time friend Shiina likes this personality more, finding it more honest and true to herself.

For Natsumi, assuming a personality is a bit like getting dressed. She steps into her assumed role, and finds acting politely comes more naturally to her the more she does it. She keeps these aspects of herself compartmentalized, much like she would keep her school uniforms separate from her casual clothing, so that she can more easily retrieve them, designate each as being for certain situations, and shut away the ones she is not using at the moment, out of sight.

But as the Student Council becomes involved in tankery, and Natsumi finds herself expressing herself more, the lines between her personalities blur. The Natsumi you see now, and will see over time, thus is no longer quite the same as the person Natsumi pretended to be, but the true Natsumi is also no longer quite the same as she once was.

**Character Analysis: Ayano Satou**

Ayano is calm, analytical and pragmatic. As the treasurer for Oarai, she realizes that there are times when everyone will have to make sacrifices, some more than others. She does not consider herself an exception to this rule, and will gladly volunteer to give what is necessary. She is not very emotional, and has not had many experiences that deeply impacted her emotionally, so there are few experiences that she would confidently say had a definite role in shaping her personality.

Ayano has some idea of what it's like to be on the receiving end of difficult decisions, and to have her worth judged with what she desires on the line. Out of an understanding for those who make such decisions, she strives to be worthy of their favor, and not take it personally when the decision is unfavorable. When making these decisions, she considers the feelings of those who are affected by them, but ultimately decides based on facts and logic, and for the sake of the greater good.


	11. Driven By A Sense of Purpose

**Chapter 8: Driven By A Sense Of Purpose  
**

Oarai's first battle in the tournament was not until midway though the first round. The match scheduling was a complicated affair, beginning with the battlefields being chosen by roulette, which was then followed by the more difficult process of arranging a time and date for the matches.

The process was further complicated by the extra match, with Bosporu and Rinkai, competing for the right to reach the same point where the all the other schools started. The tournament organizers wanted those matches to happen at the earliest possible convenience, so that the victors would have time to repair their tanks and prepare for their second opponent before the quarterfinals.

* * *

While Rinkai had more opponents than most of the contestants, their victory in the first tournament was never truly in doubt, and on the day of the match, it quickly became clear why.

The Bosporu tank team, with all ten tanks moving together, advanced through the snowy and hilly battlefield until they saw five of Rinkai's tanks on the side. Bosporu noticed the enemy tanks too late, though, as Rinkai's guns were already trained on them, and fired as they came into range.

A well-executed attack by and a salvo of gunfire by a group of tanks under Satoha's leadership- a Type 4 Medium, a T-34/85, a Char B1 Bis, a Semovente and a Turan III- took out two of Bosporu's 9TPs and a 10TP, without any of their tanks being able to hit them. As the sound of the explosions faded, and thy heard the white flags raise, the remaining Bosporu forces realized that they were now leaderless. Confused and, as a result of the 10TP's loss, leaderless, the Bosporu tanks quickly retreated.

Too late, they realized that they had fallen into Rinkai's trap, as the remainder of the tanks- a Panzer IV, a Chaffee, a SU-100, a Cromwell and a StuG- under Emi's leadership, fired on them, while they quickly returned fire. Their desperate counterattack succeeded in disabling a Grizzly, but at great cost.

Five shells from Rinkai tanks found their mark in Bosporu's remaining tanks, causing five almost simultaneous explosions that each took a tank out of the game. One of them, a 10TP struck by the SU-100, was the enemy flag tank.

"Rinkai wins the match!" the announcer said.

* * *

At the post-game ceremony, Rinkai's tankers and their defeated enemies exchanged bows and the commanders shook hands before parting ways. They had all come from different cultures, with different ideas of post-game ceremony, but they all believed in good sportsmanship and winning gracefully, which meant that they adhered to the customs and showed their opponents the proper respect.

Still, their minds returned to their past experience once they had left, particularly the realization that the match had been easier than most of their battles where they had come from.

"That was quick, if a bit boring," Emi said as Rinkai loaded its tanks onto the ship after the post-game ceremony. "Honestly, Satoha, none of the schools back home went down this easily; as it is, it's hardly worth telling Miho about."

Emi and Miho had spoken on Skype a few times since they had met in the tankery cafe, catching up and sharing stories that they did not have time to in their brief encounter back then. Emi was glad that her first match in the Japanese high school tankery tournament was a victory, but realized that it would not make for much of a story for Miho, who had practice with her team and could not attend Emi's match. Emi was understanding, and knew that while each of them were interested in how the other was doing in the tournament, they were also had to train and make preparations of their own to win their own matches, and to face each other in tankery battle.

"I can't really argue with that, Emi," Satoha said. "As much as I acknowledge the possibility of underdogs rising up, exceeding expectations and dethroning the champions, I realize that, practically speaking, not everyone _can_ do it. There are many reasons why quite a few of the schools' performance remained mediocre or worse even after Black Forest's defeat two years ago."

"Well, that is why they're called underdogs," Megan said. "This isn't a tournament where everyone who shows up gets a prize."

"You make a fair point, Megan," Hao said, "but I honestly had not expected the disparity in tank strength to be this much of a disadvantage."

"It's not an insurmountable one," Nelly said. "If they'd been a few seconds faster on the trigger finger, the match wouldn't have ended so soon."

"Speaking of not insurmountable disadvantages, I heard Maginot vs. Pravda is next," Emi said. "I wonder how the former will do, assuming that they don't end up _surrendering_."

Emi paused short, as she noticed a few of her teammates glancing at her disapprovingly, and Satoha cleared her throat.

"Sorry, Myeonghwa," Emi said. "I forget that you're half-French sometimes."

Myeonghwa simply shook her head with a smile. She had gotten used to Emi's bluntness and tendency to speak her mind, just as Emi had realized that Myeonghwa, while well-intentioned and polite, was not always used to Japanese etiquette.

"It's alright, Emi," Myeonghwa said. "When the high school I attended while I was in France faced a school that had recently taken the championship, morale plummeted. Luckily, we were able to gather our resolve by time we faced them, and we won in the end."

"I see," Emi said. "I suppose I'd have felt something like that in that situation."

"So would I, which is why I sympathize with those who try as hard as they can," Myeonghwa said, "and why I respect their determination by countering it with my full efforts."

The others silently concurred. They all had their individual reasons for wanting to succeed, as well as their shared commitment to the school, but they also saw the truth in what Myeonghwa was saying. For them, doing their best was the surest way to achieve their goals, what they owed to the school, and a matter of good sportsmanship, so there was no reason not to fight with the same resolve that helped them win victory abroad.

* * *

Elsewhere, the battle between Pravda and Maginot raged over a rocky and barren wasteland. Most of the tanks had been disabled, but only the flag tank was left.

Kinue remembered Maginot well, as the first school her mother had faced while commanding her team. But while the school was the same as it was back then, something about its tactics seemed strikingly different. They seemed more mobile, more aggressive, and less reliant on the defensive strength of their tanks.

Kinue then realized, as a small detachment of Maginot tanks attempted to attack her from behind, that she could not rely on the ways her mother and those before her had used to deal with opponents. As she ordered her tanks to take down her attackers, and they quickly responded by striking them with shots to the side, forcing up the white flags, she realized that thinking on her feet was less difficult than she thought.

Over time, Pravda, under Kinue's command, was successful in whittling down the Maginot forces, while only losing two of their own to unexpected attacks. Having removed most of her opposition's tanks, including those with the greatest firepower, Kinue went in for the kill.

In the end, Kinue's forces cornered the Maginot flag tank in spite of its efforts to escape, and defeated it with a barrage of heavy shells. As the smoke faded, the Pravda onlookers noticed the heavy damage on the light French tank- a broken gun barrel, a snapped track and several charred spots on the side, before they noticed the white flag, almost superfluous of the tank and its school's defeat.

"Pravda wins the match!" the announcer said.

* * *

The two sides met after the match and exchanged bows.

"Felicitations, Mademoiselle Atago," Eclair said, extending her hand for a handshake.

"You did quite well, too, Eclair-san," Kinue said, shaking her defeated opponent's hand. "Although I must say that it's quite different from Maginot's fighting style when my mom faced your school about 23 years ago."

"Mais oui," Eclair said, "but the change is more recent than you would think, Mademoiselle Atago. It started last year, after I won the command of the team in a duel with my friend and senpai, Madeleine-sama, while essentially wagering my membership in the tankery team."

"I'm honestly surprised things came to that between you two," Kinue said. Her sister aside, she could hardly imagine fighting a battle with her current vice captain, who was a friend as well as a subordinate, with the loser forfeiting her position.

"For Madeleine-sama, it was a matter of principle," Eclair said. "My stance on this matte was not only in opposition to her, but also to Maginot's traditions, which dated back to the time of the 'old' tankery team. If I could not stand by those traditions or change the team, there was no place for me on it. It was also a way of introducing an element of personal risk for me, since it's all too easy to criticize a leader when you have nothing on the line. She had to stake her reputation and the faith her subordinates had in her on traditions, so I had to do the same with my ideals."

As Eclair made her comment, Galette, a tank commander who had a close, albeit solely professional, relationship with Madeleine, silently seethed. She had frequently criticized Eclair, particularly with regards to her new tactics, although she rarely came out and explicitly worded her criticisms openly. As such she wondered if Eclair was referring to the passive-aggressive approach she favored.

But even as Eclair's second-in-command, Fondue, let off an exasperated sigh at Gallette's nonverbal reaction, Eclair herself was undeterred. She had her fair share of critics since assuming command, and had become accustomed to dealing with them.

"In spite of how things turned out, I have no regrets about my decision," Eclair said. "Maginot has to change with the times, and I believe this tactic has given us more success than our old one."

"I agree, Eclair-san," Kinue said. "You fought well today, as you did last year."

"Merci beaucoup," Eclair said. "But I do have one more question for you, Mademoiselle Atago. Do you ever feel pressured to live up to your mother and your older sister?"

"Sometimes," Kinue said "I am in the same position they once occupied, after all, even if they seem so much more talented than I am."

"I see," Eclair said. "Then let me share a story with you. Are you familiar with the Nishizumi family?"

"Yes, possibly more than most people," Kinue said. "Miho-chan and Maho-san are friends of mine, and I... am acquainted with... their mother, Instructor Nishizumi Shiho."

Eclair nodded.

"I'd long looked up to Shiho-sama," Eclair said, "and believed that her daughters had inherited her skill and style of tankery. As such, the prospect of facing either of them was dreadful enough to give me stomach cramps."

Kinue sighed and shook her head. While she was unaware of the fact that Eclair had a stomach condition, and experienced stomach problems as a result of stress- which was quite common given her position and circumstances- she believed that Eclair was similarly ignorant of the newest generation of Nishizumis, particularly Miho.

"To be honest, Eclair-san, if you think of them that way, you do not truly know them," Kinue said. "Maho-san views being heiress as a means to an end for her sister's sake, and Miho-chan is very much unlike Instructor Nishizumi, in terms of personality and tankery style."

While Kinue worried for a moment that her answer had been overly blunt, her fears were dispelled when Eclair smiled in response.

"Then you understand the point quite well, sooner than I did," Eclair said. "In the end, just as Nishizumi Miho-san won her own way, you, too, can only live and do tankery your way. Bonne chance, Mademoiselle Atago; I'm looking forward to seeing how you do."

With a final handshake, the two commanders parted ways. Each deviated from tradition in their own way, doing what they believed they could, and time would tell how their approaches fared in the tournament.

* * *

Kinue watched as the tanks were loaded onto the ship. Only three of them had been disabled, and the rest had only minor damage, a better outcome than Kinue had originally envisioned.

Anastasia, a girl with shoulder-length dark hair, walked up to Kinue. While not as small as Katyusha, she was relatively petite for a Pravda girl, and was almost two centimeters shorter than Kinue.

"Good work out there, Comrade Commander," Anastasia, Kinue's vice-captain, said.

"Thank you, Anastasia-chan," Kinue said. "I had spent some time worrying about how to do this match, and how it might be different from when Mom faced Maginot. But in the end, I realized that I could only go with what worked."

"In the end, I'm glad that you did," Anastasia said, "and not just because we won. You're a different person than Instructor Atago, Assistant Instructor Atago, or Funakubo-senpai."

"I'm glad to hear that," Kinue said, "especially from someone who studied under my mom and sister."

"I actually do relate somewhat more to you," Anastasia said. "I was a middling student at the Atago school, and the Instructor and her eldest daughter seemed so far ahead of me, both in terms of status and experience. You could say it was a bit like I was a peasant and they were a tsaritsa and a tsarevna, respectively."

Kinue sighed. Anastasia was an avid fan of Russian history, almost as much as Kinue's second cousin and her teammates from Hippo Team were, so Kinue wondered if she was exaggerating slightly. In spite of that, Anastasia's point was not lost on Kinue.

"My sister would be somewhat sad to hear that," Kinue said. "First, she gets along easily with those who some would consider 'beneath' her. Second, she says that one of her favorite parts about being a teacher is bringing others up to her level. If they're her allies, they'll support her better. If they're her rivals, they'll give her more of a challenge."

"I never thought about it that way before," Anastasia said. "But now that I do think about it, it does explain the former commander's attitude."

"Many of the people I looked up to, my sister included, have now graduated," Kinue said. "It's now up to us to prove ourselves in their stead, and fulfill the responsibilities they left to us."

"That's essentially what I'm planning on doing," Anastasia said. "I wonder if your friend, Nishizumi Miho, ever felt about it this way."

"Miho-chan learned long ago that even though she idolized her sister, she could not follow her path of tankery," Kinue said. "It's time I started doing the same."

* * *

Elsewhere, at Rhineland University, Maho was busy training her tankers. Her new school had a similar national theme as her high school and middle school, but bore relatively few similarities. It was relatively strong, but not as influenced by the Nishizumi style as Black Forest had once been, so Maho's being appointed commander in her first year was more due to her accomplishments than her connections.

"How have things been going, Maho?" Sumire said as she met with Maho in the tankery garage.

"Quite well, Sumire," Maho said. "Our university may not be as dominant as Black Forest was, but most of the people around here are skilled and committed."

"That's good to hear," Sumire said. "Coach Mihirogi doesn't seem to mind Black Forest's failure to win the previous tournament, saying that it's something they have in common with Rhineland."

Maho's mind went back to her coach, Mihirogi Uta, a relatively petite woman with a fondness for kimonos. She granted Maho a fair amount of autonomy, but was by no means soft, and often provided Maho with surprisingly good insights, albeit ideas that Maho had not heard while at the Nishizumi school.

"She's certainly no Nishizumi disciple," Maho said, "not in demeanor, coaching style or dedication to victory. But she's still effective in her own ways, and that's why Mother can't complain about her."

"What about the coach?" Sumire said. "How does she feel about your mother's perception of her?"

"She's relatively fine with that," Maho said, "although she did once give me some advice to never lose sight of what I wanted to accomplish. It's a good point, and was nicely driven home by the fact that she took on a _completely_ serious tone that she didn't often use."

Sumire simply nodded. Uta was generally laid-back, easygoing, and left the command to her students, but there were times when she gave insightful advice. Sumire respected Maho's serious and professional demeanor, but noticed that when Uta became serious, it tended to leave more of an impression on people.

"Is something wrong, Sumire?" Maho said after a moment of silence.

"I'm just thinking about Teru," Sumire said. "Before she saw Saki again, she had been able to press on after the tragic events of four years ago with an uncommon determination and sense of purpose. But now that she's started to question herself, she's lost that sense of purpose, and I can only hope one day that she'll rediscover it."

"So do I," Maho said, as they let the conversation drop. The question of what reason Teru could have to resume doing tankery was one that only Teru herself could find the answer for.

* * *

Saki and Teru stepped off the bus, near the apartment building where their father lived, which was a smaller apartment in the same complex. While Saki had last been home a few weeks ago, Teru had not been there since the day she and her mother had moved out. The sisters had planned an outing together on a day off for both of them, and that led them back to the home they once shared.

"We're here," Saki said.

Saki rang the doorbell. Her and Teru's father, Miyanaga Kai answered the door, as the only one home at the time. It had been years since Saki's parents had lived under the same roof, but only a few months since the Miyanagas' divorce had ensured that those days would be nothing more than a memory.

"Good to have you here, Saki, Teru," Kai said.

"Hi, Dad," Saki said.

"It's been a while, Dad," Teru said. "I don't think I've seen you since graduation."

"That sounds about right," Kai said. "Why don't you two make yourselves right at home? Lunch is in 45 minutes."

Saki and Teru looked around the two-bedroom apartment, which was relatively small, mainly serving as a place for Kai to live, and where Saki could stay during school breaks.

"So this is Dad's new apartment," Teru said.

"Yes, it's where he and I lived since you and Mom moved out," Saki said. "I heard there's a new family in the one where the four of us and Mizuho-chan used to live; a married couple with a toddler and another child on the way."

Teru sighed, slightly disappointed. A part of her had hoped to go back to her old apartment and see it again. There had been a time when she believed doing so would merely reopen old wounds, but now, she had hoped to return to the home where she had grown up. Teru had always known that the Miyanaga family's relations with each other were often turbulent, but she had also come to remember the good times, and found it difficult to accept that the family would never reunite again.

_"I suppose I know why you felt the way you did about our family, Saki," _Teru thought, _"and why you were so desperate to get us back together."_

* * *

Lunch was relatively brief, and the conversation mainly dealt with Teru's life at university. Tankery never came up in the course of the conversation- not even Teru's decision to abstain from it.

As lunch ended, Saki and Teru got up to leave.

"It was nice seeing you, Dad," Teru said, "but we should get going, to reach... our destination."

"I see," Kai said. "Take care, girls."

After saying goodbye to their father, Saki and Teru then left the apartment and walked out onto the street, following a map they had printed out. Their walk took them past the apartment, and through a walking trail that they had gone on with Mizuho while they were young children.

"So, Onee-chan, how was it?" Saki said as they passed beyond the apartment building. "Seeing Dad for the first time since your graduation."

"A bit awkward, to be honest," Teru said. "Of course, he and I were estranged for about as long as you and I were, but the difference lies in how much we connected before and after it."

"I know," Saki said. "You and I had to have several conversations before we could get to the point at which we could comfortably talk about Mizuho-chan. And I know you and Dad haven't talked that much."

"That's true, but I wasn't just talking about _after_ our separation, Saki," Teru said. "Tankery was always a large part of who I was, while it was the thing Dad seemed to detest. I don't know what sort of common ground we have now, apart from being father and daughter. As I've said before, you can have a meaningful bond without being related by blood, but might not have if even if you are related."

Saki paused, trying to consider how best to answer it. To her, the best solution would involve speaking to basic truths.

"Maybe this sounds idealistic," Saki said, "but Mom was pleased to see me again when I visited you and her before school started up this year. I think Dad was also glad you stopped by today, regardless of how close you and he were before or are now."

"Perhaps," Teru said. "Of course, Mom has no reason to doubt your skill at or commitment in tankery after you defeated my school. You certainly are living up to her standards, so there's no reason for her to disapprove."

One more question gnawed at Saki, but she decided to keep it to herself, as she and Teru arrived at the cemetery.

Teru led Saki through the rows of headstones to find Mizuho's grave. Her name was officially Miyanaga Mizuho, a distant maternal relative of theirs whom their mother had taken in, and on this day four years ago, she had died in an accident in the first round of her middle school's tankery tournament. Due to various circumstances- for Saki, it was the difficulty in coming to terms with Mizuho's death, and for Teru, it was due to physical distance from the rest of the family- this was the first time Saki and Teru had visited their relative and adoptive sister's grave.

Teru and Saki knelt down in front of the grave, and Saki clapped her hands to get Mizuho's attention, wherever her soul was, before delivering her message.

"Mizuho-chan, this is Saki," Saki said. "I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to come here to visit. It was hard to accept what happened to you, partly because I, on some level, blamed myself. But I remembered what you, who were so grateful to have a family again in spite of our differences, had taught me, and set out to reconcile with our sister and bring our family back together. This outcome- my sister and I are speaking again but our parents are divorced- isn't quite what I hoped for, but I'm once again doing tankery and truly enjoying it. I really wish you could be here with us..."

Saki's voice broke and she trailed off, at which point she reached into her pocket and pulled out a tissue, using it to dry her eyes. Teru laid a hand on her shoulder before clapping her hands and speaking to Mizuho.

"Hello, Mizuho, this is Teru," Teru said. "It's been a while; I'm sorry I didn't visit more. Since you died, I've still been doing tankery, going to Black Forest and even winning the tournament once."

Teru's voice had a certain amount of pride. Unlike the Nishizumis, she did not take her wins for granted, and saw her victory in her first year of high school as a great accomplishment. But she, at times, had to wonder what value they held for her, and now found it difficult to understand why she wanted to win, no longer as driven by a sense of purpose as she once was.

"But somewhere along the line, I lost sight of why I was doing tankery," Teru said. "You were gone, and Saki had given up on it, so instead of doing it with the people closest to me, I decided to do it to overcome the pain of losing you, blaming Saki and distancing myself from her to dull my own pain. In so doing, I lost sight of my original reasons, and distanced myself from the pleasant memories we shared."

Teru paused, lost in thought.

"I'm not especially religious, but I do believe that you're watching over me from somewhere," Teru said, "and hope that someday, after Saki and I pass on, we'll see you, as well as each other, again. More than anything, I... I miss having you around, and would like to speak with you again, as well as be forgiven by you."

A tear slid down Teru's face as she said it, and Saki offered her a tissue from her pocket, holding a used one in her other hand. Teru accepted it with a grateful nod and wiped her eyes.

"We'll be back next year, Mizuho," Teru said. "I hope I'll have found an answer by the time i return."

* * *

On the way back to the docks, and their respective schools, Saki and Teru discussed Mizuho, whom Saki was finally starting to remember, sharing stories about their time together. Finally, they reached the docks, where Teru's boat back to her university ship was scheduled to depart.

"I appreciate you coming with me, Saki," Teru said. "It was nice to have you around, to talk to you once more the way we used to."

"I feel the same way, Onee-chan," Saki said. "Let's meet again soon."

With a final embrace, the sisters parted ways. They had their separate lives, but their parting did not have the same sense of finality that it did when their parents separated four years ago. It would still be a while before they were as close as they were before then, but both of them were working toward that point together.

Saki realized that her first match of the tournament would be coming up soon, not long after the next match, which was between Anzio and Saunders. While she was no longer trying to reach out to her sister, she was fighting for a different purpose now, to help remind her sister of what she enjoyed about tankery and help ensure that the fun she had with her friends would be shared by future generations of Oarai students.

* * *

Elsewhere, at a restaurant at Hiroe and Kinue's university ship, Kinue sat at the table her older sister, her cousin, and a few of her senpais. The Pravda alumni at the table had relatively little in common, and certain members of the group contrasted in various ways. Katyusha was a hot-tempered diminutive tactician, and Nonna was a cool-headed, exceptionally tall and a crack shot. Onjouji Toki was a melancholic and sickly girl, Shimizudani Ryuuka was cheerful and energetic, and Eguchi Sera was laid-back and tomboyish. In spite of those differences and their quirks, they worked well together, and some of them were close friends. Kinue enjoyed their camaraderie and felt confident in her chances of winning while fighting alongside them, even if she sometimes felt inadequate in comparison.

Unfortunately, for Kinue, they, some of Pravda's finest tankers for the last three years, had left and moved on to do tankery at Romanov University. They had their own battles now, just like Kinue did. As such, after telling them about her victory over Maginot, Kinue was interested in hearing how they fared.

"How have things been going at university, everyone?" Kinue said.

"Fairly well," Hiroko said. "We won the first round, but our opponents this time were entirely new, making them somewhat unfamiliar. I tend to do better against opponents we've faced in the past, when I have actual data on them I can use."

"That's true," Kinue said. "Of course, I find it somewhat easier to face an unknown enemy than one that I have struggled against before."

"Well, you're not the only one," Hiroe said. "I tried for five years, but I wasn't able to succeed- at least not without unforeseen occurrences in my favor. The same goes for when you go up against Oarai."

Kinue solemnly nodded.

"A lot of the people on my regular team are new this year, Onee-chan," Kinue said, "and many of the especially talented ones have left by now. You, Hiroko, Katyusha-senpai, Nonna-senpai, Eguchi-senpai, Shimizudani-senpai, Onjouji-senpai... I'll have to do what I can without all of you."

Katyusha had a cocky grin on her face. She enjoyed riding on Nonna's shoulders, but the pedestal people like Kinue placed her on was far higher than even her tall friend.

"You flatter Katyusha-sama," Katyusha said.

Nonna silently nodded in agreement. She enjoyed teasing Katyusha, particularly when her ego needed to be curtailed, but she knew what Kinue said was true, and offered a "спасибо, Kinue," in humble appreciation.

While the others nodded in agreement, Toki, however, had a somewhat skeptical expression.

"It's odd that you're putting me on a pedestal when I only got onto my team in my third year," Toki said, "which means you're better off in that regard. If not for the fact that I graduated ahead of you- and I might still be here if I'd missed more school last year- you wouldn't even have grounds to call me 'senpai,' since you've been doing tankery for longer."

"You have a point, Onjouji-senpai," Kinue said. "Then again, my sister and Hiroko had to call the older members 'senpai', even though the two of them had more experience coming into the school."

"That's true, Kinue, but none of the people you admire started out as skilled tankers- I least of all," Toki said. "Do you remember how we met?"

"Yes," Kinue said, "we met while training together with the rest of the benchwarmers."

"Back then there were many who were better than us in various ways," Toki said. "But we never gave up on improving ourselves, or trying to be of some use to the team, even if few expected much of us."

"That's right, Toki," Ryuuka said, before turning back to Kinue. "And Kinue, I'd like to emphasize that Toki's saying 'few', not none. Sera and I always believed Toki would become quite skilled, and there are many who feel the same way about you."

"Thank you for the kind words, Shimizudani-senpai," Kinu said.

"Yeah," Sera said, "And there are a lot of other people who are just now getting their start on the team this year, so I'm eager to see how they do. Perhaps they'll succeed where we failed. Maybe the defeat last year has inspired them to improve more in their remaining time at the school and surpass us."

"That is certainly an encouraging prospect, Eguchi-senpai," Kinue said. "I suppose when you think about it that way, it becomes easier to be confident in yourself."

"Even when I haven't accomplished something yet, I am, as always, confident that I've got what it takes to do it," Hiroe said confidently. "And I have that same belief in you, Kinue."

Kinue smiled. Her time had come to not just prove herself useful to her sister, but also prove herself in her own way, so that when she rejoined her sister in university, she could stand alongside her on more even footing.

"I won't let you down, Onee-chan," Kinue said.

"That's the spirit," Hiroe said. While neither of the sisters' teams were nearly as much of an underdog as Oarai was, they realized that the goals they were seeking to accomplish were quite ambitious and difficult by most people's standards. In spite of that, they did not let that deter them, determined to reach heights that most believed were impossible for them to reach and succeed where many had failed.

* * *

After practice, Caesar returned home to Hippo Team's shared house in the suburbs of the school ship. Going into her room, she turned on her laptop, and, once it was started up, began a chat with a friend of hers from Anzio, Carpaccio. The two had known each other since they were young, and used abbreviated versions of their given names; Takako and Hinami for Caesar and Carpaccio, respectively.

The two friends talked for a little while, before getting to the main news that they wanted to discuss

**Taka Oarai**: Sorry to hear about your school's loss, Hina-chan.

**Hina Italia**: Thanks for the support, Taka-chan. But given how tough Saunders was for you, we were expecting something like this.

**Taka Oarai**: I get what you're saying. Of course, your leader didn't exactly take losing to us very well.

**Hina Italia**: Duce Anchovy always hated the idea that people looked down on us, or could defeat us while only fighting halfheartedly. Of course, she lost to a school that was even more of an underdog than hers, but because you took things seriously.

**Taka Oarai**: That's true. I may not come from a powerhouse school like my second cousins from Pravda do, but I believe in proving myself. I don't run from challenges, the same way Caesar himself didn't run from crossing the Rubicon or going to the Senate on the Ides of March.

**Hina Italia**: It's nice that you have that spirit. Duce Anchovy and Kobashiri-senpai hoped that the ones who beat them would endure onward. But be warned; another underdog school defeated us earlier this year, and they will soon face you, to see if they can succeed where we failed last year, and so many strong schools have failed since then.

* * *

At Joghurt, Kazue, along with her vice-captain, Yukiko watched a recording of the match between Saunders and Anzio in her office. Joghurt did not have an especially large budget for tankery, so the two leaders of the team, lacking a room to show match recordings to the others, sat at Kazue's desk, watching the match on Kazue's personal laptop computer.

The match was not completely one-sided, but it was evident that it could not have concluded any other way. Anzio put up a good fight, but quickly was forced onto the defensive as Saunders attacked. By the end, the few remaining Anzio tanks were fleeing Saunders' onslaught, before getting picked off one by one, concluding with the flag tank being disabled by a well-placed shot from Arata's Firefly.

It was clear to Kazue why Saunders had made it to the semifinals the previous year, as well as why they had defeated Joghurt in the first match, but even they had fallen to Oarai. Many questions came to mind, but the one that Kazue found most relevant was why Oarai had succeeded where Joghurt had failed. To Joghurt, their victory over Anzio in a recent practice match was something to be proud of, but they had made little progress in bridging the gap between them and Saunders, much less the opponent that had defeated Saunders under unfavorable circumstances.

Kazue's mind shifted to the present. Rinkai had a great deal of hype surrounding their arrival, and they, at least so far, had lived up to it. While hardly anyone expected Oarai to even win the first round the previous year, their stock in the eyes of the public had risen over time.

A part of Kazue was disappointed that hardly anyone had any such confidence in Joghurt, which was neither an established powerhouse nor a promising newcomer. But having spent an entire year at Joghurt, and faced off against Saunders herself, Kazue was painfully aware of her school's limitations... and determined to surpass them.

"The larger schools do not seem to have lost their touch," Kazue said to herself, loudly enough for Yukiko to hear, "at least not to the point at which it would make a difference for us."

"Is something on your mind, Commander?" Yukiko said.

"I have been thinking, Maya-san," Kazue said. "For you, even a humble tankery team like this is worlds beyond the one you came from, is it not?"

"That's true," Yukiko said, "although the same could probably be said for any school. Even considering the way things are, I'm glad to be of use to you and the others."

Kazue nodded, glad that Yukiko was quicker to gain this perspective than she had. Of course, there were people out there with very different mindsets, including those who had forfeited or stepped down from prestigious positions at well-regarded schools for a variety of reasons, as well as those who were content to follow, rather than lead. Kazue had once believed that those people lacked ambition, but after working alongside her dedicated and loyal second-in-command, she was no longer so sure.

"What if the opposite is true?" Yukiko said. "What if a high-ranking member of the school that was the champion until recently, left and joined a school that had no tankery team at the time she submitted the paperwork to transfer? What sort of reasons would she have for making that decision? Did she ever think she could win? And how, then _did _she win? Those are all things I would very much like to find out."

"So how are you planning on doing so?" Yukiko said.

"It's quite simple," Kazue said. "I am going to request a meeting with Nishizumi Miho-san."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

This chapter was meant to develop some of the characters outside Oarai, and transition to Oarai vs. Joghurt, since they're not first this time. It also shows some of the other matches, since Oarai isn't going first this time, and so far, three of the contenders have been eliminated.

It also brings the focus back to the Miyanaga family, to show that they're struggling with issues that are longer-term, and may not necessarily be resolved this year.

I had to modify it slightly to take Maginot's new doctrine into account, since doing so also gave me an opportunity to use Eclair. It's also nice to contrast Maginot in the past to Maginot now, to show how different Kinue's challenges are from those her mother faced.

Caesar and Carpaccio's usernames are from the OVA. I decided to incorporate their friendship this time around, partly to show how Anzio has changed since last time, even if Anchovy in the OVAs is quite different from Anzio in the manga.

Edited to fix a few minor mistakes and clarify that Maginot's tradition is from the "old" team.


	12. Interlude 13: Kazue

**Interlude 13: Kazue**

Kazue approached the gates of Oarai Academy. Saro, on weekend guard duty, eyed her somewhat suspiciously, noticing that she was not wearing Oarai's uniform. Kazue wore Joghurt's uniform, which was a charcoal gray blazer, a green skirt, a white dress shirt, and a red neck ribbon, with the school's logo on the right breast pocket of the blazer. While the school followed a Bulgarian theme , it did not adopt a uniform of that nation's theme, instead going for a somewhat Western style uniform, similar to what some schools without national themes or tankery teams used.

Kazue's dark blazer was in stark contrast with the white sailor fuku that Oarai's students wore, and as such, she was immediately identifiable as an outsider. Saro's first order of business was to find out what, if any reason she had to be at Oarai, seeing her to her destination if she was a guest and removing her if she was a trespasser.

"State your name and business," Saro said with cold civility.

"Nanpo Kazue, second-year at Joghurt and commander of the school's tankery team," Kazue said, producing her school ID from her wallet. "I have an appointment to meet with your commander, your vice captain, and Miyanaga Saki-san."

Saro quickly glanced at her tablet PC, and saw that Kazue was scheduled to arrive. Kazue was a few minutes ahead of schedule, and while Sodoko was tempted to say that this was more than could be expected of "a certain someone," Mako had improved her punctuality since last year.

"We've been expecting you, Nanpo-san," Saro said, her tone turning more cordial as she recognized Kazue as a guest. "Please take this visitor's badge, and don't take it personally if the students seem on edge; they're on the lookout for someone trying to pay us back for the 'Sergeant Oddball' incident."

As Saro handed Kazue the visitor's badge, a piece of laminated paper with a metal clip that Kazue attached to her blazer's lapel, Kazue recalled hearing about the incident from Carpaccio, whose school had been infiltrated by Yukari, before the match between Anzio and Oarai.

"So someone in your school is a fan of Kelly's Heroes," Kazue said with a smile, recognizing her grandmother's favorite movie.

"To the degree that she thought it would be a good idea for an alias when sneaking into Anzio," Saro said. "I've heard of some half-baked plans for sneaking in, but this has to take the cake."

"Well, you needn't worry about that," Kazue said. "I don't know how incompetent you think this 'Sergeant Oddball' is, but I don't think any infiltrator would do so with their own school's uniform."

_"So this is one of the stratagems that Oarai used to offset their disadvantage,"_ Kazue thought, realizing that it never had occurred to her to do something like that. Because of her experience in tankery, she knew where to look to find information on her opponents' tanks.

Kazue suspected that the infiltrator, whose name she did not know, was similar to rest of Oarai, in having a great deal of enthusiasm for tankery and a willingness to think outside of the box, but relatively little experience. Kazue had called to arrange for a visit to Oarai, in hopes of learning a little about how Oarai came up with those tactics, and why it was able to persist in spite of the odds against it, knowledge that would prove useful for her school.

Kazue reached the meeting room of the tankery team, where Miho, Nodoka and Saki were waiting, sitting at a small table for four. The three girls stood up to greet her.

"Thank you for seeing me, Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san, Miyanaga-san," Kazue said, bowing. Her three hosts returned the gesture.

Nodoka, meeting Kazue face-to-face for the first time, immediately was struck by how Kazue carried herself with an almost aristocratic air. Kazue was polite and graceful, yet proud and determined, not unlike Nodoka herself.

"I'm here for what might be called an exchange of non-tactically sensitive information," Kazue said. "I would like to understand how Oarai musterd the resolve to win the tournament, and in exchange, I will share some of what motivates me. Again, does that work for you?"

"Yes," the three Oarai girls said together. They took their seats and invited Kazue to do the same.

"Just to clarify, though, we didn't always think we'd win the tournament," Miho said. "In fact, we thought we'd be lucky to win even one or two rounds, before we learned of our existence being on the line. We were able to get that far by realizing that we could only succeed together, with everyone learning their roles and doing their best."

"That's what most teams aim to do, although you seem more successful than most in that regard," Kazue said. "But I must admit that I'm surprised to hear you of all people say this, Nishizumi-san, considering your family."

"The fact that I can't do things the Nishizumi way is the reason why I'm at Oarai to begin with," Miho said. "My sister, the next head of the school, hopes I will find my own way of tankery."

Kazue paused to process what Miho had said. Clearly, the heiress of the Nishizumi school had a very different mindset from the woman who was currently running it. She thus had to wonder what the future held in store for the school, but realized that no one could say for certain at this point, if they were willing to talk about it at all.

"I must admit that I was, for a moment, surprised to hear that she feels that way, Nishizumi-san," Kazue said. "But then I recall my grandmother, and believe that it makes sense."

"Is it different for you, Nanpo-san?" Nodoka said. "I remember that you're the granddaughter of a famous tanker, Nanpo Shizuru-san."

"I am," Kazue said. "To be honest, it is somewhat difficult to live up to Grandmother's accomplishments. In my case, however, no one else is expecting me to do so. In spite of that, I find myself compelled to try, anyway, but am forced to reconcile my lofty ambitions with the limitations reality places on me."

"I'd like to know what you mean," Miho said. Kazue had essentially given the story of her tankery career in a few sentences, but it was a series of contradictions, and Miho wished to hear more.

"My story essentially begins when my father was born," Kazue said. "Grandmother, while accomplishing a great deal in her day, had no desire to establish a tankery dynasty or anything of the sort. As such, she was content when she had only one son, and did not expect her daughter-in-law or her son's daughter- I, in other words- to follow in her footsteps."

Miho nodded. She remembered that in some dynasties without an heiress of the proper gender, the heiress' spouse would be chosen instead. The current head of the Shimada school was the daughter-in-law of the previous head, as well as one of her former students. Kazue seemed to have the same sort of determination that the new head of the Shimada school did, hoping to become the steward of a tradition and pass it down to the next generation.

"But you chose to do so, didn't you, Nanpo-san?" Miho said.

"Exactly, Nishizumi-san," Kazue said. "Many people naturally emulate those they admire, especially when those individuals are in their own family."

"I look up to my sister, and once tried to emulate her," Miho said. "But she knew I couldn't follow in her path, and encouraged me to blaze my own. A friend of mine, Atago Hiroe-san, also strives to emulate her mother, while her sister, Kinue-san, hopes to follow Hiroe-san in turn, even if Kinue-san has more recently started trying to lead her own way, with her sister's encouragement."

"That's wise advice," Kazue said, "and it's advice my grandmother gave me when I was a young girl, but which I only truly came to understand recently."

* * *

_8 years ago_

On a trip to visit their grandmother's apartment, Kazue noticed an old photo of Shizuru's tankery team from high school, as well as a certificate commemorating her winning the tournament in high school. When Kazue had last been there over a year ago, she had trouble reading the certificate, but now could read it well enough to recognize that it was for tankery.

"Grandmother, is it true that you were once a tanker?" Kazue said.

"I was, a long time ago, Kazue," Shizuru said, wistfully looking at the old photo and feeling a sense of nostalgia as she did. "Now I mainly serve as a consultant, helping to advise and teach girls not much older than you. That's what people mainly know me as, and what they'll remember me as, if they do so at all."

Kazue found the idea of one's accomplishments fading into obscurity disturbing.

"But... schools like the Nishizumi school have continued teaching and passing down their ideology, skills and traditions for generations," Kazue said. "They aren't forgotten so easily, nor are those who founded them."

"They have those who are willing to take up the style, and pass them down from generation to generation," Shizuru said, "but this was not my intention. This is why I was not troubled when I had a son rather than a daughter, and why I believed that your mother's lack of interest in tankery was not a point against her when she and your father came to me, seeking my blessing."

"Mother once told me about this," Kazue said. "But while I respect the decisions you and she have made, my desire to do tankery someday is something I have decided myself."

Shizuru chuckled softly, pleased that her granddaughter was ambitious but knowing that there was much Kazue did not yet understand..

"Oh, I'm not against you doing tankery at all, Kazue," Shizuru said. "I only believe that if you do it, you should do so for your own reasons, your own way."

Kazue pondered her grandmother's advice. But she already understood that some people spent their entire lives devoted for another person's sake. Perhaps it would not be so bad to to tankery in her grandmother's name, so that people would remember her accomplishments and the Nanpo family name would be associated with excellence in tankery.

* * *

_Present day_

"It took some digging,but I was able to find some more about my grandmother," Kazue said. "About 50 years ago, she, in her final year of high school, won the high school tankery tournament, before Black Forest was truly established as the champions."

"That's impressive," Miho said. "I must confess that I didn't hear much about it, since my family and Black Forest do not like to dwell on their failures."

"That may be so, Nishizumi-san," Kazue said, "but I believe the more relevant fact is that it's old news. To provide an example, last year, there was an armed robbery on the Joghurt school ship, a somewhat shocking incident. Everyone was discussing it when it happened, but it's less talked about this year, and I believe that five years from now, only those who were there when it happened will know about it. Similarly, after Grandmother passes on, how many will remember the kind of tanker she was when she was alive?"

Miho nodded. Fame- whether in her lifetime or after she was gone- was not something she fought for in tankery. But when Kazue described it in terms of her beloved grandmother getting the credit she deserved for her accomplishments, she felt as though she could understand, and wished she could have known the elder Nanpo better.

"Essentially, I had no desire to let my grandmother's style of tankery become a relic of the past that only the curious or the well-versed knew about," Kazue said. "So I asked her to teach me what she knew, and she agreed; it was part of her job, after all."

"So you also got an early start in tankery?" Miho said.

"Not as much as you, Nishizumi-san," Kazue said. "I wasn't able to train on a tank, and as such, wasn't far ahead of my peers when I entered middle school. I tried and failed to become commander of my team, and was foolish enough to believe that if I had been commander, we would have been much more successful."

"I'd say feeling that way is human nature," Saki said. "My sister once told me that people have an unfortunate tendency to dwell on what might have been, and tend to be overly optimistic when it comes to the chances of things turning out as they had hoped."

Kazue, being in the same year as Saki, had heard of the tragedy that had resulted in Mizuho's death and caused a rift between the Miyanaga sisters. She wondered if Saki had that in mind, but knew better than to ask about it. So she simply nodded and continued with her tale.

"Eventually, the time came for me to choose a high school," Kazue said. "Most people would be interested in a school with a prestigious team, such as Black Forest, but I ruled that one out, as well as Pravda."

"Were you not able to get into them?" Nodoka said. "Or did you have friends who decided to go to Joghurt?"

"Unfortunately, neither is correct, Haramura-san," Kazue said. "Back then, I believed that I could get into any school I desired, and believed I didn't have time for allowing anything as sentimental as friends to have any weight when it came to choosing a school." Kazue described her motives with a self-effacing tone. She paused to let it sink in, then turned to Nodoka. "But I believe that you had a different mindset, did you not?"

"I did," Nodoka said. "Going to middle school, I had to separate from my friends and the town I lived in. The school I went to didn't have much of a tankery team, but it was fun and I made friends there, even if I didn't get far in the tournament. One of those friends, Kataoka Yuuki, chose to go to Oarai, and I followed her there, even though another of my old senpais went to Saunders."

"I see," Kazue said. "As far as I recall, Konishi did surprisingly well for a school of its caliber, better than what most would expect. And while I didn't choose my school for the same reasons you did, I must say that if you got what you wanted, I'm happy for you, Haramura-san, and please tell Kataoka-san and the others this as well."

"Thank you, Nanpo-san," Nodoka said.

Saki remained silent, grateful that Kazue was not asking about her middle school tankery career. Her accomplishments were far less impressive than those of Nodoka or Miho, and on a personal level, it was not a story she felt comfortable telling to just anyone.

"So, what, then were your reasons for choosing Joghurt, Nanpo-san?" Miho said.

"The first and second reasons were somewhat arrogant," Kazue said. "First, I believed that in schools like those, strong ones with predominant ideologies, I would be unable to lead according to Grandmother's style. Second, I knew I would be at a disadvantage in a school like this, but didn't think it was entirely hopeless."

_"But you couldn't"_ Miho, Nodoka and Saki thought, but decided against saying it out loud. They knew Kazue was well aware of this fact, and would likely get to it soon. They were, however, curious as to why Kazue specifically chose Joghurt.

"The third reason is more personal in nature," Kazue said. "Grandmother lives in Joghurt's home port, which was my home town until Father had to move because of a transfer at work. He had to choose between providing for his wife and daughter, and looking after his mother, and chose the former. He goes to see Grandmother when he has time and when she needs him, but is less than happy with this arrangement."

"That's understandable," Nodoka said. While she was sad about having to leave behind her friends in Achiga, she could understand her parents having to move.

"That said, I had not completely made up my mind by the time I came aboard Joghurt's ship," Kazue said. "But as I saw more of the ship, I became certain that it was the right place, without any of the doubts that would later develop in my mind."

* * *

_Two years ago_

Kazue took a tour of the Joghurt school ship, walking alongside other girls in various uniforms as their leader, a girl in Joghurt's uniform, showed them around the Joghurt school and community. In a note pad, Kazue jotted down various observations about the school based on what the tour guide said and the deeper meaning she heard.

She walked through a residential district, and noted that it seemed more reminiscent of a small town than a large city. The tour only had time for a brief excursion to the city, but Kazue felt as though she had seen a larger portion of it than the tour guide had implied; over the course of the tour, they had gone from the port side to the starboard side in a relatively short amount of time.

Joghurt was neither the best nor the worst school as far as tankery went, but it fit Kazue's purposes. It was not especially successful in the tournament, but was at no real risk of being shut down, so Kazue believed it had room for improvement. There were no established cliques or entrenched ideologies, so a determined, talented and well-respected girl could rise to become commander without needing connections.

Kazue pondered what she had heard. The tour guide had not oversold the school, but conveyed a fair amount of enthusiasm. Perhaps, in that regard, Joghurt had a better team than her middle school did, and more potential for improvement under her.

Perhaps this school would be the best fit for her and her way of tankery. She would not be overshadowed by other tankers, but would rise to the top, and from there, would take her team to the top of high school tankery.

* * *

_Present day_

"In hindsight, my perspective does seem foolishly optimistic," Kazue said. "I weighed a few criteria for my decision, and assumed that Joghurt, the one best suited for being able to visit my grandmother, was at least passably suited to the others, as well."

"No, I believe it's understandable," Nodoka said. "Hindsight is 20/20, after all, and the decisions that often turn out to be mistakes often seemed reasonably sound at the time. I do have to remind myself sometimes that our success in the tournament was never guaranteed, and often seemed- with good reason- to be a near impossibility. I certainly didn't predict anything like this would happen when I joined a school with a new tankery team"

"Perhaps," Kazue said. "It seems we don't see clearly enough to understand our decisions until after it's too late to undo them, although we can't always know this. You seemed to understand what kind of school Oarai was when you joined, Haramura-san, but didn't know that it was, among other things, living on borrowed time."

Miho nodded in agreement. When she had come to Oarai, she was less concerned about what it had than what it did not have- namely, the tankery team and the pressures related to it that she hoped to escape from by leaving Black Forest. Of course, Kazue had an entirely different and more ambitious mindset, so Miho was interested in hearing how Kazue's expectations were defied.

"The first indication I got about how mistaken I was appeared when I was encouraged to apply for the commander position in my first year, something that I had not expected would happen even in my most optimistic fantasies," Kazue said. "What kind of school would turn to an untested newcomer like me as a leader? To put it bluntly, not the kind I was hoping for."

* * *

_One year ago_

Kazue, shortly after being appointed commander, met with Sawaya, who was then a second-year, in the tankery garage. The garage seemed relatively empty, both in terms of tanks and people, so outside of practice, it was a possible place to have a semi-private conversation.

Unlike most schools, Joghurt appointed commanders at the start of the year, meaning that Kazue was an eligible candidate despite just having arrived. When Kazue was selected, while she expressed the appropriate gratitude and determination to make the most of her position, she was still determined to find out why she was selected. She had experience leading, but was an unknown quantity in the eyes of most of Joghurt, whom she believed would be more likely to choose a third-year, or, in the worst case scenario, a second-year, to lead them.

"Congratulations, Commander Nanpo," Sawaya said.

"Thank you, Shishihara-senpai," Kazue said. "But, if I may say so, there did not seem to be much competition for the position."

"Well, first, not everyone's the leader type," Sawaya said. "Some of us start out in one position, getting used to and enjoying it throughout our three years of high school. It's all we know and all we want."

"I see," Kazue said. "But for me, that one position is commanding. I believe that there are those who would feel the same way, enough so that they would take it to the natural conclusion of commanding the entire team."

"Maybe so," Sawaya said, "which brings me to my second point. It's more difficult than many think to be the leader of the entire team, essentially being making all the major decisions and being the team's pillar of strength. Few can do it successfully, and fewer here even want to try."

"So does that mean I am different from the majority here, senpai?" Kazue said.

"Maybe it does, Commander," Sawaya said. "All in all, it's great that you're so enthusiastic about leading us. But if you want to do so well, you'll need to understand what kind of school it is that you're leading."

Kazue was briefly at a loss for words. She had never thought of herself as particularly "enthusiastic," as she took to most pursuits with what she would consider due diligence. But another question was more prominent; was it possible that she did not truly understand the school she was going to lead?

* * *

Hoping to find out more about what Sawaya was talking about, Kazue struck up a conversation with her vice captain, Yamoto Yukino, a third-year, in the commander's office. Yukino, who had held her position since the start of the previous year, had not only not applied for the commander position, but was actually grateful that Kazue had, since otherwise, she would have been named acting commander until a permanent commander could be found.

"Is there something I can help you with, Commander?" Yukino said.

"Yamoto-senpai," Kazue said. "May I ask why you never applied for the position of commander?"

"I didn't feel up to it," Yukino said. "Two years ago, when I was a freshman, we got easily defeated by Pravda, and last year, the first in which I was vice-captain, we lost to Black Forest in the first round. The latter was especially disheartening, since it showed us the difference between the champions and ourselves."

"But the champions eventually were defeated in the finals," Kazue said. "No one is invincible, not even Black Forest."

"Black Forest lost, that's true, " Yukino said, "but they lost to their strongest rival, and as a result of their vice-captain leaving the flag tank defenseless due to a freak accident. The odds of something like that happening aside, do you really think a school like ours can last long enough to reach the finals, and keep the champion at bay long enough for an opportunity like that to present itself?"

"I believe we can," Kazue said defensively. "The only question is whether you and the others are willing to go this far, senpai."

Kazue took a deep breath to compose herself. She realized that her tone was not one she should be using on someone who was older than her and ahead of her in school, even if she was also her subordinate.

Yukino sighed, evidently more over what Kazue asked of them than over the tone she used to ask for it.

"We _are_ trying, Commander," Yukino said. "What I'm saying is only..." Yukino trailed off with a sigh. "It's something I believe you'll have to see for yourself to truly understand."

"I see," Kazue said, before bowing in apology. "Please forgive my rudeness, senpai."

"I'm actually not offended, Commander," Yukino said, with a reassuring smile. "There was a time when I felt the same way you did, after all, and you remind me of myself back then. I may have been overly optimistic, but even after everything that happened, I'm not so sure that way of thinking was wrong. It's just that it's hard to keep it up in the face of repeated defeat."

Kazue nodded. Regardless of whether her teammates' skills or resolves were weak, they were still her teammates, and it was up to her to make it work. She would not let the school's past failures deter her, but she vowed she would succeed, to show the nation that Joghurt could rise above mediocrity to become the champions.

* * *

_Present day_

"In hindsight, I was overly harsh on Yamoto-senpai," Kazue said. "But even knowing what I do now, I couldn't accept that it was hopeless and resign myself to inevitable defeat."

"Nor should you, Nanpo-san," Nodoka said. "I, too, have faced opponents that were beyond my ability to defeat, but have never given up."

"Your school has many things that mine does not, Haramura-san," Kazue said. "The one that most comes to mind, however, as well as the one I've noticed in this conversation, is that you, Miyanaga-san and Nishizumi-san understand the odds against you and what you need to do to overcome them. That's why you succeeded against Saunders where we failed, even in the face of a greater disadvantage."

* * *

_Last year_

The first round of the tournament pitted Joghurt against Saunders, on a somewhat rocky and hilly battlefield.

From the moment she first had drawn her lot, Kazue realized that Saunders was a less than optimal opponent for the first round. It was not on the same level as Black Forest or Pravda, but it was well beyond most of the newcomers. Essentially, if Joghurt failed to defeat them, not only would their participation in the tournament end, but they would likely never have stood a chance against the stronger opponents.

But for the sake of her team and the cause she hoped to advance, Kazue put that nervousness aside as she and Yukino approached Kay, who was flanked by Alisa and Naomi, in the pre-match ceremony.

"Let's have a good game," Kazue said.

"Yeah, let's!" Kay said enthusiastically, as she took Kay's hand.

Kazue looked over Kay and wondered what was going through her mind. She seemed quite relaxed and informal, hardly the sort who could take charge of an entire team. Kazue, knowing that it was at times difficult to keep the much smaller Joghurt team together, had to wonder why Kay was so laid back with a larger task on her hands, even if the match ahead of them would not be particularly difficult for Saunders. Was it how she acted towards opponents she knew to be weaker, or all opponents?

_"Perhaps they're looking down on us and not taking this seriously," _Kazue thought, _"or maybe this is how Kay-san typically operates. Either way, I may still have a chance."_

* * *

As the battle went on, however, Kazue found herself getting outmaneuvered and outfought at every turn. Kazue suspected that Saunders had better basic skills than most of her teammates did, and the battle so far seemed to confirm her suspicion. But while Kazue tried to use the terrain to her advantage, it seemed as though Saunders was somehow anticipating her moves.

Were her subordinates that inferior to Saunders' team? Were her strategies that predictable? In either case, Kazue realized the current situation was untenable, and decided to re-engage Saunders on more favorable terms.

"We're taking heavy losses!" Kazue said in the radio. "Retreat and regroup at point F15."

Elsewhere, Alisa, commander of the Saunders flag tank, heard the casualty reports and orders on her tank's radio interception system. Saunders and Joghurt used the same maps of the battlefield, so Alisa was quickly able to find point F15 on her map. It was a reasonably defensible position not far from where they were, so it was fairly easy to predict where. The radio interception device, however, removed the need for guesswork in this case.

In most cases, she would have simply told Kay where to go, but she had to keep her source of information secret, as Kay had made her distaste of such tactics clear. Alisa had tried to convince Kay otherwise, but Kay refused to budge on this subject, so Alisa decided to keep her use of the radio interception secret.

"Kay, you might want to cut them off before they get to cover in the forest," Alisa said.

"Alright, Kay said. "I'll send Naomi's group over. Nice female intuition, as always."

With her radio interception device, Alisa essentially had eyes and ears in every single enemy tank. The latter had been sorely reduced, though, and before long, the flag tank was defeated by Arata's team, who lay in wait for them on Kay's orders, which had been based on communications Alisa had intercepted.

"Saunders wins the match!" the announcer said.

"I'm sorry, commander," Yukino, who was commanding the flag tank, said. "They were waiting for us; I think it was the group of four first-years and a third-year in the Firefly."

Kazue let off a sigh. Just how many skilled first-years were there? She was glad that she was not in the same age group as the third-years, with well-known tankers like Maho, Hiroe, Kay and Mihoko, but the realization that there were many strong up-and-coming first-years whom she could not defeat was both sobering and humbling.

Perhaps she had been thinking about it incorrectly all along, seeing faults everywhere in Joghurt but herself. Perhaps rather than try to live up to her grandmother's example, she should focus on doing her best for her teammates. These lessons were difficult pills to swallow, but if she learned them, she would go farther than most would expect of her, if not as far as she had originally hoped.

* * *

_Present day_

"So you didn't know that Saunders was using radio interception, Nanpo-san?" Saki said.

Kazue shook her head.

"I had my suspicions but didn't know for certain," Kazue said. "As far as I know, it was a closely guarded secret."

Nodoka nodded in agreement.

"Apparently, no one in Saunders except Alisa-san and her crew did," Nodoka said. "Sagimori Arata, a friend of mine and the commander of the tank that shot your flag tank, told me that she only saw the radio interception balloon midway through the match, after Miho-senpai stumbled upon it by accident."

"Even if that was a stroke of luck, your ability to turn that against them is quite something," Kazue said. "It's quite possibly a tactic that only those without much experience in tankery would think of."

"Even so, the match against Saunders was a difficult one for us," Nodoka said. "Some of Arata's crew were personal friends of mine, who are skilled and determined, which gives me some idea of their performance. Their commander that year was laid-back, but nevertheless quite capable of winning."

"Ah, yes, that certainly sounds characteristic of Kay-san," Kazue said. "Perhaps it's partly because she doesn't struggle as desperately for victory that she's more easily able to keep a cool had and achieve it. Perhaps, when all was said and done, she had the right of it, and was better off than I was, even knowing that her final chance to win the tournament was gone."

"Most people never get anywhere close to winning the tournament in high school," Miho said. "Many of them simply accept the fact that other schools have better tankers, equipment and overall performance than they do, often as a result of going up against and losing to those schools. When I faced Joghurt in my first year of high school, while I was still vice-captain of Black Forest, they had this in mind. For them, it was unfortunate that they got Black Forest in the first round, but they struggled to win, even in spite of how slim the probability of respect was."

Kazue nodded. She had started to understand this concept, but while she was no longer blind to it, she was not resigned to being on a second-rate tankery team, either.

"While I became painfully aware of the limitations of the school on that day, I, too, decided not to give up," Kazue said. "And after my loss, I decided to take my grandmother's advice after the match to heart, knowing that I had much to learn, and a great deal of untapped potential at Joghurt.

"That's good to hear," Miho said. "We at Oarai only succeeded by making the most of the people and the resources at our disposal."

"This year, we also got a new vice-captain, Maya Yukiko-san," Kazue said. "She previously did tankery at Saint Catherine Middle School, one of the few Catholic schoolships in Japan."

"I've never heard of that school before," Miho said, "much less seen it in the tournament."

"That's because it doesn't compete in the tournament, Nishizumi-san," Kazue said. "However small and humble Joghurt's team is, Saint Catherine's is even more so. They had six tanks and barely enough people to crew all of them. As such, they only went on exhibition matches against opponents of similar caliber. When larger schools deign to compete against them, they usually do so with teams consisting of their junior players, who may not be part of the regular team, so that Saint Catherine would stand a chance of winning, and the challenger's players might improve enough to become regulars."

Miho thought back to Erika's remark about how schools that were too weak to put up a good performance stayed out of the tournament. Kazue's previous arrogance had reminded Miho of Erika, but rather than becoming upset at that familiarity, Miho was glad that the Kazue who sat before her today seemed humbler and more content with her school.

"And yet, there are those who are simply happy to do tankery," Nodoka said. "The size of the team doesn't matter, nor does how successful they are, they simply enjoy tankery. I personally take tankery seriously, but I respect those with this perspective."

"Maya-san was one such person," Kazue said. "As such, you can most likely imagine how excited she was to join a school that was participating in the tournament, despite being well aware of our disadvantage."

* * *

_Earlier this year_

Shortly after Yukiko arrived at school, Kazue called her into her office. Yukiko's appearance back then was a far cry from the present. She had long hair, but the bangs were uneven and partly in her face. She wore glasses on her face,and a sky-blue sailor fuku.

"Thank you for coming, Maya-san," Kazue said. "I called you here because I need a volunteer to serve as vice-captain, and I believe you possess the qualities I need."

"I'm honestly glad that you're asking me, Commander," Yukiko said. "But I'm not sure what the scope of my duties will be exactly."

"You will mainly accompany me, assisting me with various duties," Kazue said. "You might help manage the team training schedule, observe practice matches and do other various tasks."

Kazue's answer came naturally, as she listed the duties Yukiko's predecessor had filled for her. Yukiko's answer came just as naturally,

"I've been doing odd jobs for much of middle school," Yukiko said. "Pretty much everyone goes to me when they need help with some of their errands. Some of my friends are concerned, but I reassure them that it's an opportunity to be useful, and proof that others value me."

"And... how do you feel about our school?" Kazue said. "It's not very likely that we'll win or even make it far in this tournament."

"It's still quite something to come this far, and do tankery on the national stage," Yukiko said. "But whether I'm doing tankery with my classmates at Saint Catherine or competing in the tournament here, I'm always glad to do it with my friends."

Kazue pondered her decision. Yukiko was still inexperienced, albeit significantly beyond most of Joghurt. But she had the personality she needed, and would likely go far in the future.

* * *

_Present day_

"Some schools differ in their use of a vice-captain, and what they believe the position means" Kazue said. "In some, the vice-captain might mainly serve as the leader of a division or as a possible substitute for the commander. In my case, however, Maya-san was my adjutant, helping me with my duties. But the most important thing was her humility and enthusiasm, which were quite refreshing."

Miho nodded. She valued those qualities, and believed that they were important for leaders in many ways. Some leaders won the obedience of their subordinates by being strong and determined enough to sway them, while Miho believed that being approachable, and not thinking herself better than others, she could gt them to relate to and trust her.

"Of course, it takes more than enthusiasm and hard work to make a good tankery team," Kazue said. "We also need someone to direct our efforts and teach us how to fight."

"So did we," Nodoka said. "Miho-senpai and I, along with some of the more experienced members, helped show the others how to use our tanks but Instructor Chouno oversaw some of our earlier practice matches and training."

"She ended up coming to ours as well, as you may have heard," Kazue said. "We requested the help of an instructor last year, and was able to have her assigned to us temporarily this year."

Miho nodded, remembering what she had discussed with the student council.

"But if I may ask, Nanpo-san, how did you feel about someone associated with the Nishizumi school?" Miho said. "I recall you saying that you had great faith in your grandmother's way of doing tankery, were reluctant to introduce outside influences, so to speak."

"Naturally, the events of last year broke me of that belief," Kazue said. "So did what Instructor Chouno had to teach me."

"How so?" Miho said.

"Instructor Chouno, as a teacher, saw what she had learned as a guideline more as a set of absolute and non-negotiable commandments," Kazue said. "Not everyone who studies under the Nishizumi school necessarily does things their way. Isn't that right, Nishizumi-san?"

"It is," Miho said. "Instructor Chouno is many things apart from a Nishizumi disciple; she's a JGSDF officer, a teacher of new tankery students and a fairly cheerful and fun-loving woman."

"Yes, and that is why she chose to teach us the way she did," Kazue said. "She recognizes what sort of background we have and what we're trying to accomplish, and so tailors her training to that."

* * *

_Earlier this year_

Kazue, in the Joghurt commander's office, spoke with Ami over the phone, hoping to finalize some details.

"Before we begin, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you so I can determine where the team stands now," Ami said. "How many of your team has experience in tankery?"

"A fair amount, Instructor," Kazue said. "We were eliminated somewhat easily against Saunders in the first round last year, though, so we are in need of improvement."

"I see," Ami said. "Perhaps you're better off than most of the schools I teach in that regard, although I can still help you. I believe I can begin with exercises to improve how well you work together as a team, and critique you on your performance in certain areas."

"That might be a good idea, Instructor," Kazue said. "Is it true that under your guidance, Oarai went from a team of newcomers to the champions?"

"I was only around for a short time," Ami said. "They had a talented commander and a vice-captain, but the team as a whole was quite committed and eager to learn."

"I see," Kazue said, somewhat disheartened. Perhaps this was proof that she was nowhere near Miho and Hisa's league. And while she had come to realize that she could not solely blame her teammates for her defeat, could she count on them the same way Miho could count on her teammates? Only time would tell, but Kazue had little hope of the answer being one she would like.

"I was also quite surprised Oarai managed to win," Ami continued. "Most of the schools I teach don't do all that well, and mainly call upon the services of an instructor to help train the students, ensuring that there are some knowledgeable students who can lead the team. The students who learn from me pass on their lessons to their juniors, and the team often gets stronger over time. It's thus our hope that a short-term assignment has long-term benefits."

"So I may not be around to see the full extent of how much my school benefits?" Kazue said.

"I wouldn't discount the possibility so easily, Nanpo-san," Ami said. "You're still only a second-year, and a great many surprises happened last year. Who knows where you will be in your third year?"

Kazue smiled and nodded. Hope for the future was always a good thing, and while what they were discussing might not be everything Joghurt needed to become a serious contender, it was a way for them to improve, and take small steps toward that goal.

_"Perhaps I'll one day become a tanker as good as you were, Grandmother," _Kazue thought. _"Perhaps someday Joghurt will take the championship again."_

* * *

_Present day_

"Per the instructor's advice, we had many practice matches and exercises among the team," Kazue said. "We eventually faced Anzio in an exhibition game."

"Ah, yes, that's why they weren't available," Nodoka said.

"We were looking for an opponent that would be a reasonable but not overwhelming challenge for us," Kazue said. "Fortuitously enough, Anzio was in the same boat as us, so to speak, hoping to improve themselves after an unfortunate previous loss."

* * *

_A few weeks ago_

As the few remaining Anzio tanks fled, hoping to elude their pursuers and strike back, Kazue realized that, for the first time in a long while, she was actually enjoying fighting another school, and she believed that it was not entirely due to the fact that she was winning.

Perhaps it was because there was less at stake. The reputations of the schools that were involved might be on the line, but because there were fewer people watching, the matches and their outcomes were less noteworthy, unless something especially shocking happened.

Kazue thus did not think of this match as part of the struggle to uphold the honor of her grandmother's style of tankery, but a means by which she could improve herself and improve her team. If she thought about it that way, then virtually any outcome was favorable to this end.

Kazue's tanks fired, and knocked out the remaining tanks, one by one.

"Joghurt wins the match!" the announcer said.

* * *

After the game, Carpaccio and Kazue faced each other, exchanging bows and shaking each other's hands.

"Thank you for the game," the commanders said.

"You put up a good fight, Carpaccio-san," Kazue said.

"As did you, Nanpo-san; it seems we have a great deal to work on," Carpaccio said. "As such, I appreciate your enabling us to find that out now, rather than in the first round of the tournament."

Carpaccio glanced at her watch to confirm whether she and the Joghurt girls had time for what would come next. The sun was starting to set, and after a long match, the players were undoubtedly getting hungry. The time seemed to be right for Anzio's true specialty.

"Would you like to have dinner with us?" Carpaccio said. "We've adopted a new tradition; after games, we throw a meal for our team, our opponents, and those who put on the game."

"Yes, please," Kazue said with a polite smile. "I've heard a great deal about Anzio's Italian style cooking."

"It's our school's pride and joy," Carpaccio said. "Duce Anchovy saw victory as something that the team shared, and while I believe that it's important to strive for that, it's not the only thing the school shares. From fighting tankery battles to cooking a meal, anything you do well with your comrades is a fulfilling process."

Kazue nodded in agreement, before turning back to her teammates to invite them to the meal.

For the first time, she saw Joghurt as something other than a school that was close to her grandmother, a school she could whip into shape, or a school with a team full of people who were holding her back. Joghurt was her school, and her home in a sense. She wanted to win for their sake, but also saw enjoying the process as much as possible as important as well.

* * *

_Present day_

"Our victory over Anzio was good for morale," Kazue said. "While we still are a long way from being a worthy contender for the championship, we had been able to win. And I also started to see my comrades in a new light. I was not fighting for my own personal pride, or my desires- which, despite being for the sake of my grandmother, were mine alone- but wanted to help them achieve victory."

Miho nodded, remembering when her school defeated Anzio. At the time, she had wondered whether Oarai would be able to get very far at all, even if she could not agree with Erika's dismissal of the team as worthless. But Oarai was her school, and she wanted to prove its worth, whether to the rivals who dismissed it or the MEXT officials who saw it as expendable.

"I'm glad that you did, Nanpo-san," Miho said. "One time, I went to Oarai to get away from tankery. But I met many good people there, and came to love the school. I'm glad our school can remain open, and has a tankery team to be proud of."

"Yes, and people are starting to take notice of it, Nishizumi-san, like I did when I happened to draw the team that triumphed against the one that defeated us easily last year," Kazue said. "I'm no longer arrogant or foolish enough to think that the odds are on our side."

"They never were on ours last year, Nanpo-san," Miho said. "All of our opponents outnumbered us, and most of their tanks were better than ours. The same still largely applies this year."

"Perhaps so," Kazue said, "but I doubt that it applies with our school. If you won against so many strong opponents last year, what does that say about our chances of victory?"

Miho, Saki and Nodoka remained silent, unsure of how to respond to Kazue's point, before Miho broke the silence.

"I'd say that it means that anything is possible, Nanpo-san," Miho said. "I have some idea of Joghurt's combat capabilities, but don't think you should think of yourself as weaker than us, or believe that victory is unattainable."

"Fair enough," Kazue said. "Still, this is a valuable opportunity. I hope to see first-hand how you fight, Nishizumi-san, and learn lessons that I can use to fight stronger opponents in the future. The road to building a strong team takes time, and both of our schools have a great deal of room for improvement."

Nodoka, Saki and Miho nodded in agreement. Despite winning the tournament, they still had accomplishments they had yet to make, and despite defeating the strongest tankery team on the high school level in Japan, there were many more opponents out there. Those prospects were challenging, but also exciting and worth facing.

The meeting soon adjourned, as both parties had run out of things to say.

"Thank you for coming, Nanpo-san," Miho said. "I feel like I learned a lot from hearing your account."

"As did I, Nishizumi-san," Kazue said. "I wish you the best of luck in the coming match, and in the future."

As Kazue walked away, she realized that in the coming match, one of their hopes at winning the tournament would be dashed, most likely Joghurt's. But regardless of what happened, both schools would continue onward next year, hoping to strengthen their teams for the future. Perhaps Joghurt had a longer way to go than Oarai did, but she vowed to ensure that it became a worthy contender in the tournament someday. Perhaps she would no longer be at the school when that day came, but she hoped it would come for the sake of future generations of Joghurt students, and for the sake of her school. She was not yet up to her grandmother's level, but this was something she could do as she was at this moment, for the sake of the school and those who looked to her for leadership.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Kazue probably has the greatest role expansion in the sequel, apart from those who debuted in this installment. I chose her because of her potential for character development seemed to be the greatest, particularly since she was hit the hardest by those who were defeated in the first round and who can try again this year. There's a great deal that has not yet been told about her story, from the distant past to the events leading up to her defeat, to what happened afterward, and characters with such untold stories tend to make good Interlude material.

On a side note, I have to wonder whether the advent of the school ship would lead to different family dynamics, with grown-ups possibly living apart from their parents, having done so from middle school until their graduation (although there are families like the Akiyamas that live on the school ship, since it's a community in and of itself, and some of the adult residents have families). It's interesting to consider the societal ramifications of the school ship.

**Character Analysis: Kazue Nanpo**

Kazue makes a brief appearance in Saki, as a formidable challenger in the Individuals. Frustrated by being in a weak school, (which her grandfather- the character on whom her grandmother is based- blames himself for), she seeks to prove herself and the strength of her grandfather's style in the individuals without any weak teammates to hold her back. She's meant to serve as a strong opponent who only enters the individuals (contrast Achiga, which refuses to enter the individuals because they want to compete together), and is one of the strongest opponents, but doesn't advance to the nationals; only Mihoko, Nodoka and Saki do.

Did you read all that? Good, because now you essentially should forget it. First, tankery being a purely team sport means that Kazue will have to put up with her teammates even if she considers them beneath her. Second, her defeat is a severe blow to her pride, and forces her to recognize that she's not so infallible after all. So now Kazue stands before Miho a much humbler individual. She knows she's at a disadvantage, but is prepared to go down fighting, and possibly learn from it. It doesn't hurt that one way or another, one of her most dangerous rivals will be graduating at the end of the year.


	13. A Test of Ideology and Experience

**Chapter 9: A Test Of Ideology And Experience  
**

The day of Oarai's first tournament match came. Their school ship pulled into port, they disembarked from the ship with their tanks, and headed toward their designated staging area.

The routine had become standard fare by this point, as they were no longer the amateurs that they had been at this point the previous year. Their opponents had taken note of this as well, and Oarai would no longer be able to take advantage of small vulnerabilities in their strategies, created due to laxness under the assumption that rank amateurs would never be able to out-think them.

While many of those opponents had previously never given Oarai a second thought, some of them had come to watch, and even root for, Oarai. Arata and her friends from Saunders had come to cheer on Nodoka. Kei was watching the school that had recently defeated hers. Mihoko and Hisa were once again watching, along with many other recent graduates. Carpaccio eagerly watched both schools, one of which was her old friend's school, and both of which had defeated her.

Oarai had come a long way, from an underdog school to a champion. The expectations had risen, but they had no intention of disappointing those who were watching; friends, family, people from their school and town, and even their former opponents.

* * *

At Oarai's staging area at the side of the arena, Teru approached as Oarai finished their preparations. Her younger sister, standing near the Tas along with Miho, spotted her and waved to her as she approached.

"Hi, Onee-chan," Saki said. "I'm glad you came to watch us today."

"Hi, Saki," Teru said. "I decided to come by to wish you and the others luck against Joghurt today." She then turned to Miho and Saro. "Miho, Maho wanted to do the same for you; she'd come if not for her match today. The same goes for Sumire, who'd wanted to see her cousin."

Miho and Saro nodded.

"I know, Teru-san," Miho said. "My sister and I discussed it when we talked on the phone earlier."

"But, Teru-san, isn't it the same as yo..." Nodoka began, but then came to a realization. "Oh..." Nodoka had gotten to know Teru well enough to realize that she was going to university alongside Teru and Maho, but was not privy to all the intimate details of her life.

"Well, taking a hiatus from tankery does have its advantages," Teru said. "It does mean that I get to watch Saki's matches without having to worry about them conflicting with practice or my own matches."

Miho nodded. Her original plan after coming to Oarai was to continue keeping up with her sister's exploits in tankery at Black Forest so that she could support her sister, even if she was no longer fighting alongside her. Back then, Miho had never imagined that she would get involved in tankery at her school, much less defeat her sister and her old school.

"I believe coming to Oarai was the right decision," Miho said, "but even so, I regret having to part ways with my sister. Of course, with the year between us, we are sometimes separated, such as three years ago, when my sister was starting high school. It's unfortunate that the school ship system not only separates children from their parents, but siblings from each other."

Teru solemnly nodded, as she wondered whether her graduating and moving on to university without reconciling with Saki would have rendered their relationship virtually irreparable.

"Yes indeed, Miho," Teru said. "While Saki and I have been talking more, I don't see quite as much of her as I would like to, for the sake of reconnecting with her."

Saki shook her head, simply thankful for being able to talk with her sister. For three long years, this much had seemed to be little more than a memory, so she felt the utmost gratitude for being able to have even the awkward initial conversations she and her sister had as they began the process of reconciliation.

"In any case, Teru-san," Saro said, her expression stoic, "we can only do what we can do. I'm sure Sumire has similar things on her mind, but she's determined to win for her team today, just like I am."

* * *

Elsewhere, Maho was at the opening ceremonies for her match, her first in the Japanese university tournament. This match was of greater interest for her mother, not only because Maho fought for the Nishizumi school, but because her opponent this time was one of the Nishizumi school's rivals.

Kumano Mahiru, the eldest daughter of the head instructor of the Kumano school, stepped forward, a girl with shoulder-length raven hair who was dressed in an olive uniform similar to Chihatan's. Her school, Momotaro University, was Japanese-themed, but was significantly stronger for its level than Chihatan. Most of the members of the tankery team had significant experience at the university.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Nishizumi-san," Mahiru said.

"The pleasure is mine, Kumano-san," Maho said, offering her hand. After a moment of hesitation, Mahiru took it and shook it.

"So you managed to become head of the team in your first year," Mahiru said. "The Nishizumi name certainly commands a lot of respect, even in light of... recent events. Your becoming commander in your first year is all the proof that is needed."

Despite, or rather, because of her knowledge of the hidden meaning behind Mahiru's words, Maho refused to take the bait.

"I have my responsibilities for my school- both Rhineland University and the Nishizumi school," Maho said. "As always, I do what I do in order to live up to my expectations and fulfill them."

Mahiru gave off a soft snort that was almost inaudible. She wondered if Maho had hoped to impress her by saying what she did, and found that idea ridiculous.

"So have I," she said. "I look forward to seeing which of us is more worthy of that trust, Nishizumi-san."

As she walked back to her tank, Maho let off a soft sigh. There were many things she would rather do than deal with someone like Mahiru, especially on this particular day, when Miho was competing alongside her team once again.

While she hoped to be at Miho's match, she also knew that while there were valid excuses for commanders not being able to lead their teams on the day of a match- recovering from illness or injury, family emergencies, and others- watching one's younger sister competing was not one of them. Miho had an obligation to be there for her team, and the same went for Maho.

As much as she cared for Miho, Maho had duties and responsibilities of her own, which often forced her to be somewhat distant from her; after Miho left Black Forest, the required distance also became physical. Now that Black Forest had lost two years in a row, she would have to redouble her efforts as Nishizumi heiress so that her mother would continue to see her as worthy of the responsibility.

But in the end, she knew what she wanted and how she would go about achieving it. Maho was unable to go to Miho's match, but she could win her match and live up to her responsibilities as the Nishizumi heiress so that Miho could continue to do tankery her own way. Victory was what she owed her comrades on the team, even if she considered few besides Sumire friends. It was also what she needed to prove that her loss against Oarai was neither a fluke nor proof of her incompetence, but the natural outcome, brought about by Miho's skill and Oarai's strength.

It was clear what Maho needed to do in this match, as it was when she set out to be Nishizumi heiress in Miho's stead. In both cases, the only question that remained was whether Miho would do what she needed to do, but Maho believed in her sister, and was confident that Miho would be able to prevail yet again.

_"You've proven throughout the last year that you can stand on your own in tankery, Miho,"_ Maho thought. _"I hope my promise to watch your match later is good enough this time."_

* * *

In the stands, Shiho was attending Maho's match, wanting to see how Maho would do at the university level. Going up to a new level of schooling meant facing more difficult opponents, and Shiho was particularly invested in seeing how Maho would do against them, for the sake of offsetting Maho's losses two years in a row. Shiho believed that while Maho's defeat in her second year could be blamed on Miho, she would need to redouble her efforts to save face after losing to a no-name school in her third. The fact that the scion of an opposing tankery school was leading Maho's' opponents this time was all the more reason for Shiho to desire Maho's victory.

But while Shiho was interested in the outcome of Miho's match, she did not have anything invested in it. Miho had made it clear that she could not follow Shiho's way of tankery or devote herself to victory the same way most Nishizumis did, and while Shiho had pondered disowning her to disassociate herself from Miho, she realized that it was not a solution, and that Miho would continue to do tankery her own way. The damage had been done, as most people saw that her daughter had chosen not to follow her family's style of tankery, but it was not as severe as Shiho feared, nor would disowning Miho have the effect Shiho hoped it would have. Those who kept up on tankery's developments were talking about Miho as an individual, not as Shiho's daughter, and so did not judge her by her family's standards.

Shiho, too, had followed suit, once she had realized that perhaps Miho''s deviance from the family style was not as harmful to it as she had once believed, even if Shiho's belief in the Nishizumi style remained largely the same. She hoped to see how Miho would do with her own style of she also believed that Miho would not lose at such a juncture, after defeating Black Forest the previous year.

_"You still can't fully understand what it means to devote your life to something, putting it ahead of everything else and paying whatever costs are necessary, Miho," _Shiho thought. _"But while your sister's match requires my attention today, I'm interested in seeing how long you'll be able to keep winning."_

* * *

In the stands, Ami looked around, trying to find a seat, and saw Aiko, who stood up to greet her. The two women were friends and fellow officers of the JGSDF, and, seeing each other in their dress uniforms, realized that it would be most appropriate to treat each other as the latter role. The two made conscious efforts to keep their professional and private lives separate, which included behavior that was appropriate for each role.

"Hello, Instructor Chouno," Aiko said, greeting Ami with a salute.

"It's good to see you here, Instructor Takahashi," Ami said, returning the salute. "Did you come here to see your team participate?"

"I did," Aiko said, as she motioned for Ami to sit down, and Ami sat down next to her. "I imagine it must be somewhat complicated for you, seeing teams that you've taught before fight against one another."

"That's how it is," Ami said stoically. "And that's not even getting into how we might feel if one of the schools that we served as a teacher goes up against the ones in which we were students."

"I see," Aiko said, realizing that Oarai could potentially face her alma mater, as well as the school that her teacher's daughter was attending.

"Still," Ami said, "if Joghurt does better this year, then perhaps they've learned something from me, and I've done my job. And if Oarai- particularly the newer members- continues to improve, you've also done yours."

"That's true," Aiko said. "These two schools have a great deal to prove, so it's unfortunate that only one will have the chance to advance in the tournament and continue proving itself."

Ami solemnly nodded. The Nishizumi school had taught her everything she needed to win, but her time teaching others had taught her about the gains that could be made in even a losing season. Perhaps only one school would achieve success according to the Nishizumi standard, but she hoped that Oarai and Joghurt, both of which were her students, came away from the match stronger than before.

* * *

Elsewhere in the stands, Satoha and Emi sat down to watch the match, promising to report back to the others later about how the school that advanced to the quarterfinals fared.

"So how do you think Oarai will do this time, Satoha?" Emi said.

"I don't see any reason why Oarai can't win," Satoha said. "Joghurt lost to Saunders last year, and they lost to Black Forest two years ago, both of which Oarai was able to defeat."

"They lost to Black Forest two years ago..." Emi said thoughtfully. "In other words, while Miho was still there. They got a new commander last year, but they're still fundamentally the same school, even if Miho has a very different team now."

"Perhaps the main challenge for Nishizumi-san will be dealing with them differently than she did at Black Forest," Satoha said. "After all, when you wield a dagger, it requires a starkly different fighting style from wielding a greatsword."

Emi couldn't help but chuckle at Satoha once again referencing her interest in swords, as well as the implication that Black Forest was powerful yet unwieldy.

"Well, that won't be a problem," Emi said. "Miho really does her best thinking when she thinks for herself, rather than conforming to someone else's school of thought. That much was true while we were little kids, and it's true today."

Satoha nodded. She had various teachers and role models from her years doing tankery in Germany and Japan, but did not think of herself as fighting in any person or organization's name, save that of the school she was attending at the moment. Perhaps Miho, who had come to find her own way of tankery, would be at an advantage on that regard, although Satoha was hesitant to count Kazue out, since it was equally possible that she had come to a similar realization.

* * *

Elsewhere in the stands, some adults, whose children were members of Anglerfish Team, had met by chance and sat together. Isuzu Yuri, Hana's mother and the head of the Isuzu school for flower arranging, wore a blue kimono, and was accompanied by her servant, Shinzaburou. Reizei Hisako, Mako's grandmother, was an elderly woman who wore a green kimono. Yukari's parents, Akiyama Jungorou and Akiyama Yoshiko, a man with short dark hair and a faint mustache, and a woman with short brown hair, wore the dress shirts, slacks and aprons they wore to work at their hairdresser salon on board the Oarai school ship.

"So, it would seem that apart from the Takebes, who told me that they couldn't make it this time, and the Nishizumis, all of Anglerfish Team's families are here," Hisako said after introductions were finished.

"Yes, ma'am," Yuri said. "It is an honor to meet all of you."

"You're certainly well-mannered, just like your daughter," Hisako said. "My granddaughter could learn a few lessons in etiquette from you."

"Perhaps either of those girls could teach us some things about tankery," Jungorou said. "Yukari's been crazy about tanks since she was little, and in spite of that, I don't quite understand what the big deal is about it."

"Neither do I, dear, and I attended Oarai when its tank program was about to shut down," Yoshiko said. "If I recall correctly, so did the elder Isuzu-san."

"That is true," Yuri said. "But I do believe that all three of you are above me in one regard. Despite your ignorance about tankery, you have never tried to judge it, or prevent your daughter from doing it. I was repulsed from tankery because of the smell of the oil and iron, the barbarism of fighting in a mass-produced war machine and that it was a perversion of established martial arts. This irrational hatred formed a rift between my daughter and I, and I would have never realized that tankery actually was _beneficial_ to her flower arrangement if she had not reached out to me to show me herself."

"And now?" Hisako said.

"Now, Hana-san will, ideally, be doing tankery for her own sake," Yuri said, "just as she is once again passionate about flower arranging. She should do it well, for the sake of her teammates, but should also be doing it because she enjoys it."

"Enjoying tankery certainly isn't a problem for Yukari," Yoshiko said. "She's always passionate and serious about anything that she chooses to do for herself, especially tankery."

"Mako's not entirely different, as shiftless as she can be sometimes," Hisako said. "It's a bit like when she ate broccoli for the first time as a child; once my daughter-in-law got her to do it, Mako actually liked it. Now it's time to see how Mako does without being motivated by tardiness passes or determined to save her school."

* * *

As the commanders met each other at the base of a small hill, Kazue and Miho saw each other again. They had come to understand a great deal about each other in their recent meeting, particularly their reason for wanting to win, and were prepared to do what was necessary to prevail. With that understanding in mind, they reached an unspoken agreement to keep things relatively brief, save for introducing Kazue's vice-captain to Oarai.

"It's good to see you again, Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san," Kazue said. "I'd like to officially introduce Maya Yukiko-san, my vice captain, whom I told you about earlier. Maya-san, these are Nishizumi Miho-san and Haramura Nodoka-san, commander and vice-captain of Oarai."

Kazue gestured to Yukiko, who had changed greatly in the past year, as a result of a makeover that her friends, crewmates and senpais had given her. Her hair remained long, but her bangs had been cut and the rest was more neatly combed, and she had changed her glasses for contact lenses. She wore the same Joghurt tanker uniform as everyone else- the same as the school uniform, but with a gray panzer jacket instead of the blazer, and a black necktie instead of the ribbon- but her friends said they were in the process of customizing a uniform for her.

"It's nice to meet you," Yukiko said.

"Likewise," Miho said. "I hope we both do well in this match today."

"But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil," Yukiko said. Her time at her middle school involved a great deal of Bible study, and she developed a knack for quoting Bible passages from memory.

"Ah, a Bible verse," Miho said. "Matthew 5:44, I believe. I think I get what you're saying."

"Yes, and I agree with the sentiments expressed in it," Kazue said. "I do not see my opponents as enemies, but rivals who strive for the same goal, hoping that the best woman will win."

"The same can be said for us," Nodoka said. "That's why, however this ends, both of us will do our best."

Kazue nodded. She had come to realize that there was no point in winning against an opponent who was not truly trying, and no shame in losing to a worthy opponent in spite of one's best efforts. In spite of that, she did not believe winning against Oarai was outside the realm of possibility, so as long as her flag tank was still on the field, all her efforts would be dedicated toward bringing down Oarai's flag tank.

* * *

Before the match, Oarai's teams went over their assignments and the plan for the match one last time. For Anteater Team, their role was more important and difficult than most, and in spite of their inexperience, they understood its significance. They were the flag tank, the focus of all the other team's efforts, and once they were taken out of the game, the match would end in victory for the other team.

"So we're the flag tank this time," Nekota said, audibly nervous as her quiet voice quavered.

"Is that a problem?" Shiina said. "We will need to stay out of trouble, but at the same time, our teammates will be protecting us and trying to flush out our counterpart among the enemy."

"Well, we got taken out almost immediately in the finals last year," Nekota said. "We were also eliminated in most of our practice matches, and against BC Freedom. We're obviously going to have to do better here than in the past, lest our defeat spell doom for the entire team's efforts in the tournament."

"I know," Momogawa said. "Still, some of my classmates from Rabbit Team mentioned that they were also defeated without putting up much of a fight in their first practice match, and abandoned their tank when BC Freedom attacked with 10 tanks, rather than 15 they had this year. But when the time came for them to serve as flag tank, they survived the first match of the tournament, when doing so was crucial for our success."

Shiina nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, so if some of us are newcomers or subpar tankers, we'll also have to rise to the occasion, like the veterans of the team did," Shiina said. "Cheer up, Nekota; our task may not necessarily be easy, but there's no reason to believe it's not doable."

"No, there isn't," Nekota said. "I wonder if Joghurt's having the same problem."

* * *

Among the assembled Joghurt tankers, Yukiko's group discussed being the flag tank as they stood near their tank, a Pz 38(t).

"We're the flag tank in our first official match?" Yukiko said. "That's a bit of a surprise."

"That happens sometimes," Sawaya said. "I was among the flag tank's crew in my first year, too. There's a lot of pressure, but someone has to do it, so I don't mind."

"I agree," Yukiko said. "There are those who see it as an unenviable responsibility, but I strive to fulfill my responsibilities to the best of my ability."

Sawaya could not help but smile. Yukiko was taking to her responsibilities more easily than many of the previous vice-captains had, which boded well for Joghurt.

"The commander once believed most of us lacked the ambition and the competitive drive necessary to win," Sawaya said. "But I'm always willing to go all out and do whatever I must for the sake of the team. Let's put in an effort that makes her confident in us"

* * *

As the battle began, Oarai's forces were situated in a flat plain at the base of the hills, with a river, spanned by a few bridges, some distance away, near a valley.

Oarai advanced, keeping an eye out for the enemy. In Miho's experience, Joghurt tended to do reconnaissance early on in the match, hoping to discern the enemy's position without being found, before launching a carefully executed strike on the flag tank. Of course, said tactic had failed against Black Forest, resulting in the enemy flag tank retreating and being picked off. Furthermore, Kazue had come to Joghurt after Miho had left Black Forest, so Miho could not afford to make any assumptions about when and how Joghurt would attack.

Half of Oarai's forces, consisting of Mallard Team, Anglerfish Team, Turtle Team, Rabbit Team and Leopon Team, encountered what appeared to be a small Joghurt scouting division, looking for a vantage point from which to attack Oarai. They did indeed find Oarai, but only after Miho's division had emerged from the woods near the hill.

The tank that was the vanguard, the S-II variant of the Stradisvagn M/41, tried to cross the hill, but Anglerfish Team shot it from below, and the Joghurt tank threw up the white flag. Others emerged from behind.

"It looks like most of Joghurt's tanks are here," Yukari said.

"For now, stand your ground," Miho said. "We should be able to pick them off."

As the Joghurt tanks unleashed a salvo of gunfire, Hippo Team was the first to fall against the Joghurt assault, with a TACAM 60 firing from on high and landing a hit on top of the tank, charring the tank near where the white flag came out.

"Already?" Erwin said, her reflexive shock at her sudden defeat overpowering any ability she had to make a historical reference. She could not help but think of how many unsuspecting soldiers in historical wars had been picked off by snipers, blown away by artillery shells or cannon fire, or silently dispatched by a hidden enemy with a knife, with even less warning than she and her team had.

But Oarai had come a long way since its early matches, and knew how to respond to an enemy bombardment. Their tanks returned fire with another salvo that was almost in unison, with Anglerfish Team striking Hippo Team's attacker in the side with a devastating blast that forced it to raise the white flag. A well-placed shot by Turtle Team knocked out one of the Joghurt tanks, a Pz 38(t) as it crested the hill, halting the Pz 38(t)'s turret as it tried to target the Hetzer.

Another Joghurt Pz 38(t) pulled up close to Leopon Team's side, and fired quickly, at point blank range, with the barrel of the gun almost touching the Porsche Tiger. The shot struck a sensitive spot and caused the engine to overheat, disabling the tank just as surely as a strong hit would. Black smoke started rising from the engine along with the gray smoke from the blast, as the white flag rose.

As the sound of the white flag precluded any attempts to work on the engine, the junior members of the auto club sighed. Since the practice match, they had slowly, but surely, started to come to terms with the fact that they were in the team for the long haul. This was not a level of performance they could be satisfied with, but it was likely the best they could deliver until they were able to master their tank.

_"Nobody said this would be easy, girls," _Tsuchiya thought. _"But we will get it eventually; we **have to**."_

The enemy Pz 38(t)'s efforts had succeeded in removing Leopon Team from the game, but it had also left it vulnerable as Rabbit Team approached from its side. Noticing the enemy closing in, the Joghurt crew hastily tried to begin evasive maneuvers.

Aya and Ayumi fired both the M3 Lee's guns, and took out the Pz 38(t) with two shots to the right side while it was reloading and aiming.

"Nice shot, girls," Azusa said.

"We did it!" Aya said. "We took out the same tank that the old student council used!"

"Good observation, Aya-chan," Ayumi said. "I didn't think any other schools fielded tanks like ours."

"Still, we should be careful," Azusa said. "They know their limitations, and will do what they can to try to surpass them."

"Yeah, and they're certainly better shots than Kawashima-senpai was," Yuuki said with an amused grin.

A Stridsvagn L-60, taking aim at Anglerfish Team from some distance away, fired and scored a glancing blow with its weak main gun, but it failed to penetrate the tank's armor, and the Panzer IV advanced toward the shooter, undeterred.

As Anglerfish Team emerged from the smoke and closed in on their enemy, Hana's counterattack was swift and decisive; she'd taken aim as they fired, and pulled the trigger just as they finished reloading. Her shell struck the turret, the explosion blowing apart the enemy's gun barrel and causing the white flag to raise.

Kazue's tank, a TACAM R-2, slipped away from the melee, hoping to rejoin her comrades before the group of Oarai tanks that had defeated her could catch up. She was not willing to write off the entire match as hopeless, but knew that if she stayed, she would accomplish nothing other than getting herself taken out of the game.

_"Grandmother once told me that refusing to retreat from a losing battle is not a courageous act," _Kazue thought, _"since those who do so are scared of showing weakness, admitting that they're wrong or giving up. But while this engagement may be hopeless, this battle hasn't become impossible to win just yet." _

Kazue, looking around at her crew, and seeing resolve in their faces as they silently did their duties, got the radio operator to get a secure line to Yukiko's' tank.

"This is the commander," Kazue said. "My division has taken severe losses engaging an Oarai division. The flag tank is _not_ among them. I will be meeting up with you."

"Understood, commander," Yukiko said. "I think I see the rest of the Oarai forces near our position, including the Chi-nu. Meet up with us, and you can take them out"

Kazue nodded. She knew that she could not yet live up to her grandmother's achievements, or do everything the same way she did, but she could follow her example. Kazue believed that her grandmother would never give up or stop trying to find a way to win, even if said way was not one she had done before, and so chose to do the same as long as she could fight for her school.

* * *

Black Forest's commander and vice-captains watched, having come to see Oarai for the first previous year, Erika had dismissed Oarai as an unworthy opponent, and only came to watch its matches because her commander had asked her and her former fellow vice-captain, Teru, to accompany her. Now, Oarai had Erika's attention, and when she asked her vice captains- Akeboshi Koume, who was commander of the tank Miho had saved in the previous year, and Morita Kuroko, commander of a Jagdpanther- to come, they had eagerly accepted.

"Joghurt's putting up quite a fight," Kuroko said. "This isn't as one-sided as it was in our first year."

"But Miho-san has things well in hand, as always," Koume said. "Even when things seem desperate or dangerous, she's always thinking of how to find a solution."

Erika nodded, having come to tolerate Koume and Kuroko's support for Miho so long as they continued to prove themselves assets to Black Forest, which would include fighting against Miho when the time came. While Miho knew many of the team at Black Forest, none of them, not even Maho, who had the most misgivings about being tasked with defeating Miho's unique style in the Nishizumi school's name, had shied away from facing her in tank combat.

"Well, Joghurt's hardly a strong contender," Erika said. "I'd certainly hope that Oarai wouldn't lose to them after everything they accomplished and everyone else they defeated."

"That may be true, Commander," Koume said, "but is it wise or fair to dismiss other contenders so easily?"

"Respect is earned, not given," Erika said. "Oarai has won the tournament, albeit only once, but Joghurt has not managed anything close to that in any of our lifetimes."

Koume nodded. She recalled that Erika had once been skeptical that someone like Miho could become vice-captain in her first year. That skepticism faded over time, until the incident in the finals and Miho's departure from Black Forest, although Miho had proven herself once again. That was the most Koume could hope for as far as Erika's perception of Miho went.

_"There was a time when I believed that Oarai would be shown its place," _Erika thought. _"But now, I hope Oarai will never lose to any school except mine."_

* * *

Some distance away, Teru watched the match unfold with her mother, separate from Erika's group, while her father was watching it on TV. Teru, chancing upon Erika, had said hello to her, but had not asked to sit with her. Part of the reason was that she had come with her mother, and part was that while she and Erika had gotten along, as Erika had shown her more respect than she showed to most people, they were little more than colleagues.

Teru had come to watch and support Saki, but a part of her wondered whether that was really reason enough for her to watch tankery. The one thing that had been most fulfilling about tankery, her reason for her to oppose her father and live up to her mother's expectations, was her ability to do it with Saki and Mizuho, her biological and adoptive sisters. Then Mizuho had died in a tragic accident, and Teru had pressed on in hopes of working through her pain, while closing her heart off from Saki, whom she believed had not only contributed to Mizuho's death, but had forgotten about her as well.

Over the course of the last year, Teru realized she was wrong about many things, and was shaken to her core. The process of reconciling with Saki was a lengthy one, but it was one of the easier parts. She had also begun to wonder why she did tankery, since both of her reasons for doing it until now were gone.

Saki had returned, even once her goal of getting through to her sister had been accomplished, finding enjoyment in tankery that she had rarely found in the years leading up to Mizuho's death. But could Teru, who had always done tankery with a driving purpose in mind, do the same? Perhaps if she continued watching Saki continue on in tankery, she would find the answer.

* * *

Kazue sped forward in her R-2, filled with a sense of purpose. She disliked thinking of her decisions as being in vain, and this applied to her decision to apply to Joghurt, even when she felt the most doubtful about the tankery team.

"Stop that tank!" Mutsuki said, and her crew quickly moved to comply, each understanding what they needed to do.

Muro quickly moved to intercept the R-2's path, obstructing its line of fire, while Momo aimed for the tank that was coming straight for them. As Anko quickly slid the shell into place, not a moment too soon, Momo fired the gun at the TACAM as it reached point-blank range and fired at the tank in its path.

The two shells struck the opposing tanks at the same time, causing two large explosions, and a thick cloud of smoke that briefly obscured the white flags.

Seizing upon the opportunity that their commander had created, a CKD AH-IV surged forward, aiming for Anteater Team.

Kazue smiled. She had not granted the order, but the crew of that tank knew what had to be done, and was instinctively working towards victory. Unfortunately for Kazue, the same went for Anteater Team.

"Enemy incoming from the left!" Shiina said.

"Take her down!" Nekota said.

Shiina quickly fired the Chi-Nu's main gun and scored a devastating direct hit on the front of the enemy tank, stopping the CKD AH-IV in its tracks before it could fire, and causing it to throw up the white flag.

As her desperate assault on the flag tank was thwarted Kazue let off a sigh. While she knew that what would happen likely would happen, that did not mean she had to like it. She knew what she was up against, but hoped that the match could have gone better.

In this battle, Oarai's first against an opponent that had the same number of tanks as they did, Oarai had seized the upper hand early on, and continued riding the momentum, enabling their advantage to snowball even as Joghurt fought back fiercely.

Still, the battle was not over yet, and perhaps she could see what her subordinates were capable of on their own. Oarai had defeated stronger opponents in worse odds, so victory was by no means an impossibility for Joghurt.

* * *

On the side of the arena, the two JGSDF instructors watched the recent developments, as Joghurt's best- and possibly last- hope of winning faded.

"At this point, things are all but over," Ami said. "If this were a real military operation, Maya-san's best course of action would be to retreat or surrender, lest her remaining troops be annihilated."

"That's hardly standard Nishizumi doctrine, Instructor Chouno," Aiko said.

Ami chuckled slightly. She and Aiko had come from very different tankery schools, but found they had a great deal in common through their experience in the JGSDF.

"I hear that a lot, Instructor Takahashi," Ami said. "I've found that adhering too rigidly to one ideology or set of tactics isn't practical for all situations... which is more or less what you taught me before my first high school teaching assignment. As such, I've been advising Nanpo-san to open her mind to new approaches and think outside the box, so to speak."

"How successful do you think you have been with that?" Aiko said. It was clear that the battle was not going well for Joghurt, but Aiko could not discern whether it was because Kazue had not heeded Ami's advice, or in spite of the fact that she had.

"Somewhat," Ami said. "Nanpo-san has improved substantially since I first met her, although, truth be told, Miho-san is a superior commander. If nothing else, though, Nanpo-san has started to understand her limitations, and the potential of her subordinates."

"Then, like you said, Instructor Chouno, you _have_ done your job," Aiko said. "Now, all we have left is to see how Maya-san plays the hand she is dealt. She may yet be able to give Nishizumi-san an unpleasant surprise."

* * *

Inside the flag tank, the crew heard about the loss of Kazue's tank over the radio, and immediately realized the ramifications of it. Not only were they responsible for staying in the game, but they had to command the remainder of Joghurt's forces as well.

"The commander's out of the game," Yukiko said despairingly. "Our plan was a failure."

"You know what that means, Yuki," Yuan said. "You're in charge now."

Yukiko nodded. This had happened to her before in an exhibition match, and she had led the remainder of the team to victory. The part about reading the Bible she liked the most was stories of ordinary individuals who became destined for greatness, particularly a boy with a sling who slew a giant- with the names of both combatants becoming synonymous with an underdog defeating a champion- and 300 men causing 120,000 to slay each other.

Yukiko knew that the difference between Oarai and Joghurt was far less drastic than between David and Goliath, and they were able to face each other as fellow warriors with equal numbers, unlike Gideon and the Midianites. The situation was dismal, but it was not hopeless,

"And that was merely Plan A," Sawaya said. "I've seen quite a few defeats in our time; in those cases, things were significantly bleaker for much longer."

Yukiko had to wonder whether Sawaya was being overly optimistic, about the situation, or was less than accurate in describing her previous defeats, but realized there would be time for it after the match. At this moment, her job was to lead Joghurt, whether to victory or to go down fighting.

"All remaining tanks, head toward the bridge at point A0063," Yukiko said. "We'll set up an ambush and make our stand against Oarai there. Victory is not beyond our reach just yet."

Yuan nodded and smiled. By all accounts, Yukiko had always been a girl who could not say no to others, but at this moment, she was starting to sound like a leader. What she was saying was a last, desperate plan for victory that had a small chance of working, but the troops looked to her for guidance, and believed that she had the potential to make this plan work.

"Yes, ma'am," Yuan said, as she complied with her orders.

* * *

As Miho's division met up with the flag tank's division, Joghurt's three remaining tanks had already escaped the scene, and were heading along a winding dirt path toward the bridge. The enemy was putting their full efforts into evading the shots fired against them, and any counterattacks they made seemed to be afterthoughts, at best, as the shots fell far short of the intended targets, or landed off to the side.

Joghurt stood virtually no chance of effectively hitting any of Miho's tanks this way. In spite of that, Miho knew that there was more to this tactic than desperately flailing around in a vain hope of victory; Joghurt was planning something.

"Is something wrong, Miporin?" Saori said. "The enemy's almost done for."

"I suppose so," Miho said. "In spite of this, I can't help but wonder what they're planning to try next."

"At this point, running's all they can do," Mako said. "They only have those three tanks left, so they can't take us in a head-up fight."

"Still, they're likely to try something," Miho said. "We never gave up when faced with much stronger enemies, and neither will they. Perhaps they're planning some means of overcoming their disadvantage."

Anglerfish Team continued to pursue the three tanks, while Rabbit Team and Octopus Team accompanied Anteater Team for protection, and the others tried to head off the fleeing Joghurt tanks, in order to ensure that the final clash would be on Oarai's terms, rather than Joghurt's.

But while Miho suspected that they would eventually corner the flag tank, it was also coming into range of the Hetzer. Now might be a good time to end the match more quickly, and see what Turtle Team, which had taken up position atop a nearby hill, could do.

"Turtle Team, the flag tank is coming your way," Miho said. "Can you take it out from your location?"

"We can, Commander," Shizuru said, all the while preparing to aim.

"The shell's loaded, Shizuru," Ayano said. "It's all in your hands now."

Shizuru took aim and calmed herself. Perhaps she was new at tankery compared to the others. Perhaps her team had a long way to go before they could match Anzu's team at their peak. But they had a responsibility to the school, and it was up to them to fulfill it at this critical moment for the match.

_"There was a time when I thought you were merely lazy, Kadotani-senpai," _Shizuru thought, _"but now I understand what motivated you to step up when things looked grim."_

Shizuru pulled the trigger. The shot flew through the air, and struck the flag tank in a weak spot, causing an explosion that was both visible and audible from so far away. The tank shuddered to a halt as its occupants looked around, startled that their attackers had made a shot like that from so far away.

As the crew of the two accompanying tanks looked on in horror, the Joghurt flag tank's white flag raised.

"Oarai wins the match!" the announcer said.

Inside the tank, Yukiko sighed slightly, and stared at the direction of the attack contemplatively. Oarai had read the situation, prepared for her escape, and struck her with a shot that few would be capable of. To most, that would seem like an unlikely plan for success, but for Oarai, that flexibility and initiative had won them most of their battles thus far, and had won the day for them yet again.

_"Nishizumi Miho-san, you did not disappoint," _Yukiko thought.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I'd like to thank Stalker117 and KMT4ever for beta reading this

I'd also like to thank Stalker 117 for some of the ideas behind Joghurt's tanks.

Most probably would have guessed that Oarai wouldn't be taken out in the first match. It's somewhat inevitable for stories like this, just like how Oarai wins the first match in Episode 6 out of 12 in canon, and similarly, if you happened upon this match when the rest of the story is published (it's probably a little over a third of the way through the story), it's easy to tell that it's not going to end here. In spite of that, I did what I could to have Joghurt give Oarai a challenge, in spite of the fact that they're not an especially strong school.

I also decided to resist a common temptation among sequels to have the first major enemy be more difficult than the final opponent last time, and believe that, in the tournament drawings, it's more likely for Oarai to get a relatively weak opponent off the bat. That, however, can be a good test for Oarai in and of itself, testing its ability to face an inferior opponent without getting overconfident or careless.

Yukiko's habit of quoting Bible verses is derived from something the Usuzan team does in canon. I wonder if Usuzan is a Catholic school, since it's implied to be at one point in the Saki manga.

Edited a few minor mistakes.


	14. Worth Fighting For

**Chapter 10: Worth Fighting For  
**

As she heard the outcome of the match being announced, Kazue, standing on the side of the field, let off a sigh. Perhaps being pitted against Oarai had been a stroke of misfortune, but in the end, she had only herself to blame.

But while it was difficult to accept her shortcomings, it also meant the beginning of realizing where she could improve.

Glancing up in the direction of the stands, Kazue noticed her grandmother, and hoped to talk with her more after the match.

_"I think I'm starting to understand what you were trying to tell me, Grandmother," _Kazue thought. _"Perhaps I may never become a tanker of the same caliber that you once were, but if I can benefit from your advice, then I may yet be proof that you were a good and long-lasting example to others."_

In the stands, Kazue's grandmother glanced her way. Her granddaughter had faced an opponent that was above her level, and had fought as hard as she could, just as she herself had when she had faced similar situations in the past. Most importantly, though, Kazue was starting to do tankery on her own terms, for her own reasons. That, in and of itself, was most important for Shizuru, and she hoped her granddaughter would succeed there, if at nothing else.

* * *

Emi and Satoha watched the end of the match, pleased but not surprised at the result.

"Miho's in fine form," Emi said, "even if Joghurt's only marginally less of a joke than I thought."

"Joghurt has improved, and did as well as they could," Satoha said. "Even in Germany, none of the 'weak' schools are at this much of a disadvantage against others. Keep in mind that both you and I are fortunate to have gotten into a relatively good one- both in Japan and Germany. As such, we can consider ourselves more fortunate than Nanpo-san."

"That may be so, Satoha," Emi said. "But Miho overcame the odds once, and I don't see why it isn't possible for another school to do the same. The reason why her school became strong was because she and everyone else made it so through their efforts."

Satoha nodded.

"That's true, Emi," Satoha said. "And that hope, of becoming stronger and defeating the well-established schools, is likely what enabled Joghurt to persist against Oarai. They quite possibly would have prevailed against a less skilled commander, or if Oarai as a whole had less experience."

Satoha wondered what it would have been like if she had attended a school that few seriously believed would win the tournament, but realized it was largely beside the point. No matter what her school or those of her opponents she had at her disposal, she would give everything she had in the pursuit of victory, without getting complacent or giving in to despair. Oarai had that same sot of resolve, so Satoha looked forward to facing them in a tankery match.

* * *

As Oarai's remaining tanks drove off the battlefield, Miho surveyed the surviving tanks, and found a somewhat unlikely group. Apart from her own team and Octopus Team, the crews whose tanks remained in operation at the end included Mallard Team, Duck Team, Turtle Team, Rabbit Team and Anteater Team. The latter's survival had been necessary to win, but the others had not always been the stronger performers in the team, for various reasons. Some had weak tanks, while for others, the problem lay with their teamwork, skill or determination. Their problems were not the same, but one thing that they had in common was that they had made tremendous progress on them.

Miho found their development a promising sign. The team as a whole was improving, and the weaker links were becoming strong. She saw value in those others who would deem useless, and in turn, they sought to vindicate her faith in them. This aspect of Oarai not only made it a more welcoming team, but also a stronger one, so Miho was glad that her belief in leading the way she did had been vindicated once again.

* * *

The two teams' leaders and their tank commanders met each other and exchanged bows in the same clearing where the pre-match greetings had taken place.

"Thank you for the match, Nishizumi-san," Kazue said, offering her hand to Miho.

"It was a good match, Nanpo-san," Miho said, as she shook Kazue's hand.

"The outcome is hardly a surprise to me," Kazue said. "But even so, I was able to see how you managed to prevail against superior odds, and see just how you fight. Perhaps there is room I can improve even further. Perhaps there are ways for me to win against odds like the ones you faced."

"I know there are, Nanpo-san," Miho said. "To me, tankery is a game where everyone can participate, and everyone can become a good tanker. Even if I'm graduating, I'd like to see what you and your school can do in the future."

"I'll do my best to not disappoint you," Kazue said with a smile. "But if I may, I have a lesson for you, albeit what I think you learned already. The day may come- quite possibly very soon- when your school faces defeat. If you have the right mindset, you will come back even stronger."

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith," Yukiko said.

"I understand," Miho said. "Thank you for the advice, Nanpo-san, Maya-san."

"Thank you," Nodoka said. "I hope I will face both of you again someday."

As the two sides parted ways, Kazue fully realized the implications of what had happened. Her school had been eliminated from the tournament in the first round, an undesirable outcome by even relatively humble standards. Its next chance to compete would happen next year- a chance that would never come for Sawaya and the rest of the third years. Kazue was well aware of what this meant, and believed that, once again, she owed the team an apology for her failure.

But she realized that it was not the end of the world, or even the end of her high school tankery career. She realized that she had many more opponents she could face on the field of tankery battle, many more lessons to learn, and a great deal of time to improve herself. Seeing all this potential in the future, Kazue had to wonder why she ever thought herself unfortunate.

_"The old me would likely have found this attitude too defeatist," _Kazue thought. _"Perhaps the fact that I've changed since then is, in and of itself, a victory worth celebrating."_

* * *

Oarai and Joghurt's instructors had a professional interest in the outcome of the match, but their own feelings came into play.

"Oarai's still going strong," Ami said. "You must have taught them well, Instructor Takahashi."

"I appreciate the kind words, Instructor Chouno," Aiko said. "But many of the veterans had a great deal of experience, and the newcomers proved quite willing to learn. You could say that I had a good starting point"

"That was true when I was teaching them," Ami said. "They faced a steep learning curve, but they were able to triumph their own way. Since I've started teaching at so many different high schools, I've realized the truth of what you told me."

"Yes, there is no one infallible way to teach," Aiko said. "At the same time, Instructor Chouno, I do understand your sense of loyalty to the Nishizumi school, just as I have a sense of loyalty to the Atago school. We do owe our teachers debts of gratitude, after all, even if we do not always end up imitating them."

Ami nodded.

"This year will be a crucial one for the Nishizumi school," Ami said. "But in spite of that, I do personally admire Miho-san's quest to do tankery on her own, and I'm not the only Nishizumi disciple to feel that way."

* * *

Elsewhere, the match between Rhineland and Momotaro concluded, as Maho surveyed the disabled tanks ahead of hers. The vast majority of the enemy's fighting forces lay disabled near the shore of a lake, and the few others had abruptly stopped their attacks upon hearing of their flag tank being disabled.

Maho had led a well-organized offensive that had thrown the enemy's forces into disarray. Their hasty retreat had left the flag tank vulnerable, and Maho's troops had focused their fire on it, bringing it down before long. The battle had ended with her side only having lost a single tank, and with more than half of Momotaro's tanks disabled.

For a Nishizumi, this level of performance was considered adequate, and Maho recalled how these standards were difficult for Miho to enjoy, even when she could meet them. She wondered how Miho's match against Joghurt was going, inferring that while Miho was most likely to win, it would be extremely unliikely for her to win so easily.

But win or lose, Maho enjoyed the matches most when she could share them with Miho. The knowledge that Miho was free to live her own way was enough to encourage Maho to continue down her path, but she still hoped Miho would walk the path alongside her.

* * *

Rhineland and Momotaro's commanders came together for the post-game ceremony.

"Thank you for the match," she said to her opponent, as they exchanged bows.

As they rose, Maho noticed Mahiru's expression was chastened, and she seemed almost at a loss for words.

"I owe you an apology, Nishizumi-san," Mahiru said. "I judged you overly harshly, and saw in you everything I perceived as my own weaknesses."

As Mahiru bowed again in apology, a gesture separate from the game-ending bow that did not need to be reciprocated, Maho gave a nod, and a slight, but warm, smile.

"I accept your apology, Kumano-san," Maho said. "But, if I may ask, what do you mean?"

"To be honest, I sometimes wonder if I'm worthy of commanding my school or inheriting my mother's position," Mahiru said. "At times, I believe that I only earned both of them because of who my mother is, rather than because of who I am. You do have skill, Nishizumi-san and I was wrong to assume that you'd gotten where you were because of your connections."

Maho nodded, starting to realize that she was not talking to a rival commander and scion of an opposing school of thought, but someone who was coming from a fundamentally similar position as she was.

"I think I understand where you're coming from," Maho said. "The pressure of inheriting a tankery school can be great, and not everyone chooses to do it."

"Such as?" Mahiru said expectantly. The importance of her responsibilities had been impressed upon her since she was young, but she had also been taught to think of her status as heiress as a privilege, one that she would have to earn.

"There are those who are born into the Nishizumi family and do not necessarily feel able to do things our way," Maho said. "Miho is one such person, and there are many others who entered our family's school at a young age, could not meet its expectations, and dropped out. The only advice I can give you, what I gave to my sister, is to find a path in life that you can call your own, be it tankery or anything else."

Mahiru nodded.

"I've always known that I'm not yet worthy to inherit my mother's headship of our school," Mahiru said, "although, if all goes well, it will be a long time before I will have to take on that responsibility. It may not end up becoming my path in life, after all. We shall see, and I hope to show you the decision I have made and its results."

"I hope so, too," Maho said with a smile.

The two commanders shook hands and parted ways, focusing once again on the paths that had been chosen for them.

* * *

After the game concluded, Maho met with her mother outside the stands to discuss the match.

"Well done, Maho," Shiho said, with a slight smile on her face. "From what I heard, your opponent had mainly seniors in the upper echelons of the tankery team, so defeating them was a good show of your and our school's strength."

"Thank you, Mother," Maho said, with the same grateful yet almost emotionless tone that she used to accept her mother's rare praise.

"Have you heard anything from Miho about Oarai's match today?" Shiho said.

"Nothing yet," Maho said. "I haven't had a chance to check for any messages."

Maho then pulled out her phone, turned it on and saw a text message from Miho.

_"We won against Joghurt. I hope you were successful too, Onee-chan."_

Maho smiled warmly. Miho saw her first and foremost as her sister, rather than a Nishizumi heiress, which was a large part of the reason why Maho hoped that Miho would be free to make her own choices and be true to herself. Miho's triumphs thus gave her more joy than her mother's approval, since they were something Maho desired on her own, rather than because it was expected of her.

Maho typed up a quick reply in her usual style, being short, brief and to the point.

_"I was. Congratulations, Miho; let's talk later."_

"What was that about?" Shiho said.

"It was a text message from Miho, Mother,"Maho said. "She won against Joghurt."

Shiho nodded, having waited for the news, even if it was what she expected.

"I see," Shiho said. "I thought she'd win against a school like that, even if winning the tournament again may be difficult. The odds are against Oarai in many regards."

"Perhaps they are, Mother," Maho said, "but Miho has overcome them before."

"She has," Shiho said. "But this year is also an important opportunity for the Nishizumi school to regain face, and triumph against those who defeated us before. Erika is doing her part, and I trust you will do yours as well."

There was only one response the Nishizumi heiress could give-"Yes, Mother." But all the same, she hoped Miho would overcome the odds yet again, and prove that her victory was not a fluke. Her tactics were not the ones the Nishizumis endorsed, but they could lead her to victory. Her reasons were not those of the Nishizumis, but they drove her onward and were worth fighting for.

* * *

As the match with Joghurt concluded, some of the parents and family members of the Oarai tankers got up, preparing to leave, with some hoping to congratulate their children before they left.

"Yukari and her friends did it again!" Jungorou said, cheering almost as loudly as Shinzaburou had.

"You do know that the Hetzer was the one that landed the final shot on the enemy flag tank, don't you?" Hisako said. "But in any case, my granddaughter and your daughter proved useful this time, just as I thought."

"You do not seem particularly surprised, Reizei-san," Yuri said.

"Why would I be?" Hisako said. "Mako has always been able to do whatever she puts her mind to, and the only question is whether she can bring herself to put her mind to it. She can actually consistently try these days, so I wonder if she needs me anymore."

Yuri and the Akiyamas looked at each other, and shook their heads.

"I do not believe you should think of it in those terms, ma'am," Yuri said. "Hana-san is quite mature; not yet an adult but able to make her own decisions. In spite of that, she still, to some degree, desires my approval."

"Well, I think the simplest thing to do is give it to her, Isuzu-san," Yoshiko said. "Simply let her know that you love her and support her, whatever path she may choose for her life."

"I will," Yuri said. "I must be going, then; please accept my congratulations on your daughter's victory."

Yuri bowed in gratitude as she prepared to call Hana's cell phone to congratulate her.

Hisako turned back to the Akiyamas.

"I'll consider your advice," Hisako said. "But at the same time, Mako and I don't care for buttering the other up. It's partly because of our natures, and partly because both of us have been through a lot, including losing our parents at a young age. Still, she knows that I care for and am proud of her in my own way, and responds in kind."

Hisako thought back to how around this time a year ago, she had heard the unlikely news that Mako had willingly gotten involved in takery, disbelieving it but not disapproving. Her daughter had become one of many who bore the fate of her school on her shoulders, and was rewarded with a clean tardiness record. Now, Mako did not fight for the sake of a reward, but for the sake of her friends, and so that she could graduate and care for her grandmother.

Perhaps Mako had some ways to go in her efforts, but Hisako felt as though she had accomplished something beneficial since she took in Mako after her parents' death eight years ago.

_"Now this is what we call satisfaction from a job well done, Mako," _Hisako thought. _"Perhaps you'll develop a taste for it, if you haven't already."_

* * *

As Hisa and Mihoko started to head back to university, the match was on their minds.

"Your schoolmates did quite well, Hisa," Mihoko said.

"It's pleasing to hear that, Mihoko," Hisa said, "especially from someone who once lost to us."

"It's not so surprising if you think about it," Mihoko said. "In any tournament like the high school tankery tournament, whenever two contestants are pitted against each other, only one can continue. Not only is losing gracefully important, as Nanpo-san did this time, but so is winning honorably, continuing onward and making as much use of your opportunity to continue as your opponent would have. Seeing efforts like yours, losing to your school was not such a bad thing, whether last year or four years ago."

"Yeah, facing St. Gloriana last year was quite nice," Hisa said, "since I was able to see you again. But without me, my team wasn't able to do well against Miho and her sister four years ago."

"Sometimes, teams can be struck by misfortune," Mihoko said, "and some teams will, in spite of their best efforts, be unable to continue. But your team did as well as they could, and perhaps Oarai will be tested in such a manner someday, possibly once Nishizumi-san graduates."

"Perhaps," Hisa said. "But if the previous tournament proved that Oarai can triumph over the odds, I think today proved that Oarai can win a relatively easy battle- that is, one in which they actually have a relatively equal fighting chance- without getting complacent. The future's looking bright"

Mihoko nodded, as both of her eyes looked into Hisa's. She had the same hopes for her school, and was looking forward to seeing how her former schoolmates fared in the tournament. If all went well, perhaps they would have another chance to challenge Oarai, and possibly succeed where they had failed the previous year, although they were far from the only school that sought to do so.

* * *

As she landed the helicopter at Black Forest's helipad, Erika thought back to the match, having listened to Koume and Kuroko talk excitedly about Miho's victory for the entire flight. The idea of two of Erika's subordinates cheering on the school that had defeated hers, which had been commanded by a girl Erika had resented for multiple reasons was less objectionable to her than she had thought. As long as Koume and Kuroko did their duty as Erika's vice-captains, defeating any school that Black Forest went up against, including Oarai, Erika would tolerate their rooting for Miho in her other matches.

There was a time when she had dismissed Oarai as weak, and believed that its victories were more proof of their opponents' weakness than their strength. And then Black Forest had become yet another opponent Oarai had managed to defeat. Erika's first instinct was to blame her team- herself included- for losing to Oarai, before she started to realize Oarai's strength.

Joghurt was not especially strong, but Oarai had managed a decisive victory over them. Once Erika stopped assuming that Oarai could not achieve a legitimate victory, she found herself noticing more about why they were able to win, and how skilled many of their crews were. They were no longer an enemy that could be taken lightly, and Erika would not be likely to win by doing a by-the-book battle against them.

Erika remembered the words of her coach, Kubo Takako, telling her that rather than think of excuses for her failures, she should rededicate herself to succeeding. That resolve to rise up past the loss had enabled her to become commander of Black Forest, and Erika hoped it would enable her to lead her school to victory against Oarai in her final year of high school.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Thank you for the favorites and follows.

This was a somewhat short chapter, but it and the next two will mainly serve as "transition" chapters.

Next up will be an Interlude Miho's old friends. I wasn't sure whether to put it before or after Chapter 11.


	15. Interlude 14: Miho's Old Friends

**Interlude 14: Miho's Old Friends**

Miho started up Skype on her laptop, and followed Emi's directions to get in touch with her at the appointed time; 7 p.m. in the time zone where Oarai's school ship currently was. The time had been changed at the last minute, with Emi e-mailing Miho to say that "a certain someone" had a last minute delay, and would be half an hour late.

Miho and Emi had spoken a few times, mainly sharing stories about their schools and the tournament.

"I'm on," Miho said into her headset's mic after logging in. "Can you hear me, Emi-chan?"

"Yep," Emi said. "It looks like everyone's here."

_"Everyone?" _Miho thought for a moment, knowing that the calls had, until now, been between her and Emi.

But then Miho looked into the list of Skype users in the conference call, and saw two names she recognized: Yuzumoto Hitomi and Yusa Chihiro.

Miho not only recognized her old friends' names, but after a moment, saw that their pictures, which they had uploaded as Skype avatars, seemed familiar.

Chihiro's picture showed her in her soccer uniform. She was significantly taller than she had been when she and Miho had parted ways, standing around the same height as the younger members of Duck Team. Her hairstyle, however, was more similar to their leader's, being short and boyish.

Hitomi's picture showed she had become somewhat taller than before, albeit not as much as Chihiro. Her hair was neatly cut and was just above her shoulders. She was wearing glasses, as she had been since her second year of middle school.

"Hitomi-chan? Chihiro-chan?" Miho said.

"Wow, it's been a while, Miho-chan!" Hitomi said.

"It certainly has," Chihiro said. "I was really surprised when Emi-chan mentioned her encounter with you when she encountered us Hii-chan's game against her."

Miho smiled with a bit of amusement and abundant joy in seeing her oldest friends come together again. Evidently, Emi had arranged this as something of a surprise, and it was quite a pleasant one for Miho.

"The three of you met by chance?" Miho said, wondering if Emi had such an experience when she reunited with them. Perhaps Emi had hoped to give Miho such a surprise when she encountered her at the tankery cafe.

"It's not really a coincidence, since Hitomi and Chihiro are going to the same school," Emi said.

"After being apart for middle school, Hii-chan and I went to Continuance together for high school," Chihiro said. It wasn't really a surprise, but it was pleasant nonetheless."

"They also know what happened," Emi said. "How two years ago, you saved the tank in the finals, and how last year, you went to Oarai and won the tournament."

"A lot happened over the past two years," Miho said. "But I think that what's true most of all was the lesson I learned from my sister and the three of you that summer. I may not be able to do tankery the Nishizumi way, but I still love doing it, especially with friends I can count on. That's what matters most of all, but it's not the whole story."

The others nodded.

"So... what about you, Hitomi-chan, Chihiro-chan?" Miho said. "What have you been doing since we parted ways?"

"I think I'll go first, since my story is the shortest," Chihiro said. "The short version is that I lost interest and gave up on tankery after parting ways with you and the others."

Emi let off a disappointed sigh, which the others heard, as she had left her mic open. The most Miho had told her thus far was that none of the others had done much tankery after she had left.

"Well, that sucks," Emi said. "After going through all that effort to keep Miho from giving up, you just up and quit like that?"

"It wasn't exactly an easy decision for Chii-chan, Emi-chan," Hitomi said. "But easy or not, her decision to give up tankery was, in some ways, inevitable."

"It started around the time you left," Chihiro said. "To be honest, doing tankery really wasn't the same without you around. We'd done some training exercises with the Nishizumi school students in the days before your departure, but while we could ask them to come and help us every so often, getting them to come on a regular or permanent basis was something else entirely."

"So you couldn't do it as much as you used to," Emi said. "I hope that wasn't the only reason."

"No, there was another factor; my mother," Chihiro said. "She's nowhere near as strict as Miho-chan's mother is, but whatever she says goes. That's why I was able to understand why Miho-chan's sister couldn't openly oppose her mother. And that's why, when my own mother told me to stop doing tankery, I couldn't say no."

* * *

_6 years ago_

The day after Emi's departure, Chihiro got home from school. Her house was a small but relatively nice one in the suburbs, a good place to live but a far cry from the Nishizumi estate. Unfortunately, her family situation was comparable to Miho's as well, with her mother, Yusa Kimiko, being somewhat strict, even if not as much so as Shiho.

"I'm home," Chihiro said as she opened the door and stepped inside.

"Welcome home, Chihiro," Kimiko said in her usual civil but stern tone. "Were you doing tankery with your friends again?"

"Unfortunately, no, Mom," Chihiro said, as she took off her shoes. "Emi-chan went back to Germany yesterday. We're short a driver."

"Ah, yes, you told me earlier that your friendl from Germany was leaving, but I didn't remember the date," Kimiko said. "But if your group can no longer do tankery together, perhaps that's for the best."

"What do you mean, Mom?" Chihiro said.

"I always did think of it as something of a distraction from your studies and soccer, but was willing to tolerate it because it didn't get in the way," Kimiko said. "It is nice for you to have some fun with Hitomi-chan and your other friends, after all. But now, it seems your group is going their separate ways, so now would be a good time for you to move on, just like your friends are. School and sports will soon become more difficult, so you must be ready to commit yourself to them."

Chihiro let out a sigh, knowing that in spite of her mother's tone, it was not a suggestion, but an order. The first time they had driven a tank together, she had accidentally fallen off and sprained her ankle while going to help Hitomi, causing her to miss practice until she recovered. Her excuse of being at Hitomi's place had not been enough to save her from a scolding, but if her mother had known she had been injured while operating a tank, she would have never let her do it again.

_"Which only means our little army would have been disbanded that much more quickly," _Chihiro thought gloomily. It was hard to accept that they would inevitably be going their separate ways, but it had to be done.

"Yes, Mom," Chihiro said, hoping that she did not sound as reluctant as she felt.

There was now only one thing left to do- inform Hitomi and Miho about the change in her circumstances.

* * *

The next day at school, Chihiro called Miho over to her and Hitomi's desks- adjacent to each other because of their names being close to one another in alphabetical order- and prepared to deliver the bad news once the three were together.

"So, Chii-chan," Hitomi said. "Miho-chan and I were wondering; where are we going to find a new driver? I could do it if you'd like."

Chihiro sighed.

"I appreciate the offer, Hii-chan, but we'll need a new gunner, as well," Chihiro said. "My mother says that she only tolerated my doing tankery for so long, and now that we're down a person, I may as well quit."

"I see," Miho said, resigned rather than surprised. "That's unfortunate, although we've had to get used to the reality that our group has been breaking apart since Emi-chan first told us about the move."

Hitomi, the most expressive of the three, pouted out of severe disappointment, and Chihiro and Miho wondered if she was going to cry.

"B-but Chii-chan..." Hitomi said, "I finally started getting good at driving! I can go an entire lap around the training course without hitting an obstacle or veering off course! All we need is another loader or driver, and we can do tankery again!"

Miho simply nodded. She didn't have the heart to tell Hitomi that much was expected of relative beginners for the Nishizumi school, and she also realized the significance of this accomplishment to Hitomi, who had previously gotten involved in tankery on a whim. She was persisting and improving in her weakest area, so the idea of not being able to do tankery with her friends was disheartening.

"I know, Hii-chan, and I'm sorry I gave up while you and Miho-chan still wanted to keep going," Chihiro said. "I'm really glad you found something you could take seriously, and wish I could put as much energy into it as you did."

"Don't apologize, Chihiro-chan," Miho said. "I understand if your mother doesn't approve, and while I hope that you will keep doing what makes you happy, I have no desire to cause strife between you and her." She then turned to Hitomi. "Hitomi-chan, I'll see if I can talk to my family's students to get another two members."

Miho realized that the students were willing to do favors for the daughters of their instructor, even the younger one. Miho felt guilty about using her influence like this, but when she apologized to the trainees for imposing on them, they had told her that they saw it as a chance to work on their skills. Perhaps she could not do so all the time, but if Miho could get two tankery club members, it would help Hitomi improve her skills, and give the two of them more time to enjoy tankery as fiends.

Miho wanted to do what she could for her friends, to keep the makeshift tankery crew going as long as possible. And even if one of their number had departed, she wanted to keep the group together for as long as she could.

"I appreciate the offer, Miho-chan," Chihiro said. "But I think our tankery group is finished. My mother doesn't want me doing tankery anymore, but I think you, Hii-chan and Emi-chan can go on to bigger and better things. I'll be looking forward to see how you do."

Miho nodded. She had begun the process of trying to find her own way of tankery, but was disappointed that she would most likely have to undergo it without the friends who had first showed her that tankery could be fun. In spite of that, the three remaining groups of the fledgling tank crew had not yet gone their separate ways, so they could still enjoy their time together, even if they did not do so inside a tank.

* * *

_Present day_

"When you left, Emi-chan, it was essentially the beginning of the end for us," Chihiro said. "We still hung out together, but we didn't do much related to tanks. And, of course, we ended up going to separate middle schools. I'm not blaming you; I'm just saying that this happens to a lot of childhood friends like us."

Miho nodded. As a result of the students going onto the ships in middle school, it was thus common for one to see classmates from a different town or even a different prefecture, and less common than one might expect to keep going to the same school as one's friends from elementary school. Those who were able to do so typically cherished their friends, much like Mako and Saori had remained close over the years.

"Yeah, I get what you're saying," Emi said. "Even before I came back to Japan, quite a few friends of mine went to different places for their own reasons. For example, G..." Emi stopped short and cleared her throat, realizing she was about to disclose something she was not yet prepared to discuss with the others. "Never mind; I'll tell you about that later. Anyway, where did you go, Chihiro? Hitomi?"

"My middle school, Troika Middle School, had a robust soccer club, so my mother hoped I would apply there, even if Miho-chan and Hii-chan never ended up going there," Chihiro said.

"Troika Middle School's tankery team is fairly strong," Miho said. "Much like Pravda, it was the main rival for the school my sister and I attended. But what about you, Emi-chan?"

"My parents wanted me to go to a different middle school," Hitomi said. "Fortunately, the one I attended had a tankery team, even if it wasn't as good as Troika's."

"Good or not, I wasn't very interested in doing tankery," Chihiro said. "There was no one I knew well on the team, so it would essentially be doing tankery with strangers. And even if there wasn't a scheduling conflict, my practices hardly left time for anything but what I had to do."

Something seemed quite familiar about Chihiro's story. Miho was interested in hearing more, both out of general interest and to pin down that similarity.

* * *

_Four years ago_

Inside the locker room of the Troika soccer team, Chihiro changed from her soccer uniform into her school uniform. With those two and her gym uniform, she had a total of three sets of uniforms, and was often changing from one to another. In a similar way, she had to balance her life as a student, her life as an athlete and her private life in spite of the demands all three placed on her; she was starting to understand where the term "student-athlete" came from.

_"For all I wear the same things every day, I sure do have to change clothes a lot,"_ Chihiro thought.

Kinue, then a student at the school and a member of the soccer team, walked up to Chihiro, having changed into her school uniform already. Given the size of the club and the highly competitive aspect, relatively few members knew each other well, but Kinue and Chihiro, while not quite friends, felt fairly comfortable talking with each other about team-related issues.

"Yusa-san, I have a question," Kinue said. "Is Waku-san quitting the team?"

"That's what I heard," Chihiro said. "Considering how unkind the rumors are, and how likely she is to hear them, if she hasn't quit already, it won't be long before she's gone."

"I've heard," Kinue said. "Waku-san always seemed committed, even if she had no higher ambitions than to play for her school. If that's the attitude the team has, I won't be far behind her."

Chihiro sighed. She and Kinue were merely acquaintances, but it always was sad to see someone she liked and who liked the sport lose hope and leave the team.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Atago-san," Chihiro said. "I know things can be difficult at times, but is it really that intolerable?"

Kinue let off a soft sigh, her expression unusually disheartened. It was difficult for her to say yes outright, but even more difficult to deny her feelings when she was asked about them directly.

"The 'all or nothing' attitude is what bothers me," Kinue said. "It really makes you wonder; if you fail to become a pro or qualify for a scholarship, are your efforts truly in vain?"

Chihiro shrugged. She found questions like that difficult to answer. She could not say yes as though she truly believed it, but how confidently could she say no? What answer would be both honest and believable?

"I don't know what to say to that," Chihiro said. "I am planning for my future in case that doesn't work out. But, isn't it at least worth a try? Like the saying goes, shoot for the moon and you'll land among the stars."

"That is a good way of putting it, Yusa-san," Kinue said. "My mother runs a tankery school, and realizes that many of the people who do tankery don't end up becoming professionals; my aunt is one such case, as are a few of my mom's friends. Mom thus believes in people learning what they can from tankery, and it will serve them well in whatever path they choose."

Chihiro nodded, as she briefly thought over nostalgic memories of tankery. Perhaps she would never find another group of girls like Miho and her friends, but she would remember the lessons of cooperation.

"Yeah, that's true, Atago-san," Chihiro said, "and I think the same can be said for soccer."

"It can," Kinue said. "And this is why I'll be leaving, to take what I've learned and use it elsewhere. Goodbye, Yusa-san; even if I do end up quitting, I'll make an effort to come to your games."

As Chihiro said goodbye to Kinue, she pondered this turn of events. Kinue's decision to get involved in soccer was not a mere impulse, nor was her decision to leave.

Chihiro's path was different. She felt the pressure, but believed she could withstand it. She wasn't sure whether her final destination would lie along the path of playing soccer, but she was determined to keep going as long as she could.

* * *

_Present day_

"A few days later, Atago-san went before the coach and announced she was quitting the team," Chihiro said. "She wasn't the first or the last to do so."

_"That must have been after she talked with her mother, sister and cousin in the restaurant,"_ Miho thought, as she recalled what Kinue had told her. _"And all of them supported her decision. That's yet another difference between her family and mine."_

"You mean you met Atago Kinue-san?" Miho said.

"You know her?" Chihiro said.

"Yes, she's a friend of mine," Miho said.

"I also met her briefly," Emi said. "The Atagos aren't as big of a name as the Nishizumis, but people know who she is."

"At the time, I briefly wondered if she was surrendering to pressure from her family to do tankery," Chihiro said. "But her family seemed quite different from yours, Miho-chan."

"Certainly," Miho said. "She's the type who knows she wouldn't make it in an extremely competitive and driven school like Black Forest, which explains why she had to quit. But what about you, Chihiro-chan? What are your future plans?"

"Yeah, I'm planning on studying physical therapy at university," Chihiro said. "We athletes know how important our body is, so we fully appreciate the importance of keeping it in good working order. Spraining my ankle after falling off the tank back when we first met really sucked, and I saw a few of my teammates get injured in our games."

"It doesn't sound quite as glamorous as going pro," Emi said. "And it's certainly unlike some of my teammates, who hope to become professional tankers in the future."

"Maybe not, but I was never completely obsessed with soccer," Chihiro said. "I give it my all, and hope to make it big, but at the same time, I'm not fixated on it or blind to the possibility of losing, among other things not working out as I'd hope. It was a path that was chosen for me, but also one that I genuinely enjoy."

Miho nodded, even as she heard an implied "unlike the Nishizumis," in Chihiro's voice. Chihiro was always the most tactful and polite of Miho's three childhood friends, compared to Hitomi's tendency to get excited enough to forget her manners, or Emi's brazen disregard for what others might find offensive. As such, Chihiro chose her words carefully, even if what she said hinted at her true feelings.

"So where did you end up, Hitomi-chan?" Miho said.

"I got into a middle school that did tankery- Rising Sun Middle School," Hitomi said. "It probably wasn't as serious as Black Forest or Bismarck were, but it was still a step up from what the four of us did."

"Pretty much anything is," Emi said. "Back then, I saw playing in a tank as nothing more than preparing for the next level at best. That said, I did hope that all of you would go up to the next level with me, even though my circumstances meant we wouldn't be on the same team."

"So did I, Emi-chan," Hitomi said. "Of course, back then, my concern was whether I could continue to keep up my expectations, and keep pace with you and Miho-chan."

"True," Emi said. "I'll be honest; disregarding Miho's family issues, you were the one I was most worried about as far as determination and skill went. But I saw that you were not only trying hard, but willing to go the extra mile in order to improve yourself, so it was only a question of whether you could do that over the long term."

* * *

_Five years ago_

Hitomi, now in Rising Sun Middle School, realized that virtually every aspect of her life had become more challenging. She now not only had to do chores, but had to keep her dorm room clean. All her subjects became more challenging, and the workload increased. Tankery was no exception, as it had gone from a game she played with her friends, to a sport in which she was expected to do her best to win.

She attended an orientation meeting of the tankery team for new members. They were told that for this meeting, it was fine for them to wear their school uniforms, a blue sailor fuku with a red neckerchief, but if they wished to participate, they would have to order a tankery uniform. For the briefest of moments, Hitomi wondered if that was the only requirement for entry, before the instructor disabused her of that notion.

Hitomi listened to the tankery instructor recite the rules in the first meeting of the year. Students were expected to show up to practice on time, every day, notifying the teacher when they were unable to come, or if they no longer wished to participate. If they did not fulfill those expectations, they would no longer have a place on the team.

All the rules seemed simple enough, and were things that had been asked of Hitomi in school, even before middle school. But Hitomi believed they were delivered with an unusual degree of severity.

The instructor's final remarks on the first day were the ones Hitomi remembered best.

"You all are not little kids anymore," the instructor said. "So if you prove that's true, then you'll be treated accordingly."

That last statement was not a threat, but a challenge, one that Hitomi hoped to fulfill however she could.

"Yes, ma'am!" she said with everyone else.

* * *

That evening, Hitomi called Chihiro, whom she managed to keep in contact with through middle school, and told her about the team and its rules.

"That's pretty much what one would expect, Hii-chan," Chihiro said. "I got a similar speech from my soccer coach. Both your coach and mine want to make sure that the people who play for them know up front what is expected of them."

"I know what you're saying, Chii-chan," Hitomi said. "But it's starting to feel more like a class than a game."

"Well, they are trying to teach you something here, and hoping that you get better at it over time," Chihiro said. "But in any case, I don't think your coach is asking too much of you- just that you be a player that your teammates can count on. If you can do that, I think that you'll be able to find players that will put in the same amount of effort."

"I guess," Hitomi said, not entirely convinced.

"Think of our time together last summer as a taste of what will come in the future," Chihiro said. "A great deal more will be asked of you, but you'll likely find yourself enjoying it more if you take it seriously."

Hitomi nodded. Gone were the days when she could get involved with something on a whim and drop it just as quickly. She had matured since then, and become stronger-willed, but most of all, she'd found something she did not want to give up on. The latter was all the reason she needed, and as long as she had that, she was willing to rise to the occasion, do whatever the coach asked of her, and do well enough that she never had to worry about the consequences of failing.

* * *

_Present day_

"I continued showing up and doing my best, day in and day out," Hitomi said. "At some point, meeting the expectations became natural to me. That's why when we had actual matches against other schools, I felt ready."

"I noticed that, too," Chihiro said. "And while that conversation was before I started noticing the discontent among Waku-san, Atago-san and some of the others in my soccer team, I still believe that things are more enjoyable if you stick with them and take them somewhat seriously."

"Kinue-san has found her passion," Miho said. "I may not know your other acquaintance, but I hope she has, as well."

"Thanks, Miho-chan," Chihiro said. "Atago-san may not remember me, but send my regards to her."

"I will," Miho said, before deciding to get back on subject. "So, how did your school fare, Hitomi-chan?"

"As I was saying, my school did relatively well in the tournament," Hitomi said. "We ultimately lost each time, but largely to opponents of what the coach called our 'weight class,' rather than a school like the one Miho-chan went to. The matches were fairly close, though, so I didn't feel as though I was out of my depth. I knew I had room to improve, and I felt as though if I did, I'd do better next year."

"That's certainly different from Black Forest," Miho said. "It's nice to feel as though you can do better, rather than feeling as though you're stuck on the top and fearing anything that could knock you off of it. Oarai may have won last year's tournament, but they haven't lost sight of that desire to improve, nor do they take their successes for granted."

"Ah, yes, Black Forest," Hitomi said in an uncharacteristically somber tone. "That does remind me of how I started facing opponents like them, once I went to Continuance Girls' Academy."

"Right, I've heard of Continuance ," Emi said. "They've got one of the biggest tankery teams outside of the top-ranked schools. Unfortunately for them, between everyone in their reserve roster and their senior teams, they can't field a tankey team that can play to save their lives, present company excluded."

"You didn't have to put it like that, Emi-chan," Chihiro said. "I also ended up going to Continuance, and they didn't seem all that bad from what I saw, even if they lost to your school."

"I agree with Chihiro-chan," Miho said. "From what I heard, their individual skill is decent, even if they have not been able to defeat Black Forest and other schools."

"You may be right," Emi said. As a result of age and maturity, she had the capacity to realize that it was no longer worth pressing her argument when she stood at risk of hurting Hitomi's feelings. Emi had come to realize that she was not always right, and that not only could she not always convince people, but there were times when it was best not to try. In the past Emi had paid dearly for speaking in anger when she was certain she was in the right on a more important issue, so Emi had no desire to press a trivial issue that was largely subjective.

"In any case, good team or not, I had a lot of difficulty getting in," Hitomi said. "There were a lot of people out there who were better at it than I was, so I couldn't necessarily out-compete them for a spot on the team."

* * *

_Two years ago_

Hitomi stood outside the tankery commander's office at Continuance, looking over the results of the tryouts. Only the names of those who would be participating as regular members of the team were listed, along with their assignments. Hitomi had to wonder if this was for the sake of sparing the feelings of the rejected by publicly disclosing their status as such, not wanting to bother, or some combination of both.

Hitomi thus had no idea how many people had applied and gotten turned away. Was it true that she was at the bottom of the barrel? Or was it possible that there were those who were so much better than she was?

So when Hitomi met up with Chihiro that afternoon on their walk home, she hoped for sympathy, but also expected a reality check.

"How did your tryouts go, Chii-chan?" Hitomi said.

"As well as could be expected," Chihiro said. "I'm still mainly doing chores for the team as one of the new members, but some of my senpais have taken an interest in my skill in the training exercises. They didn't make any promises, but they said there was a chance I could make the team fairly soon, as one of the better first-years. Considering that on the team, there's two or three second-years, and the the rest are third-years, it's quite good indeed."

"I see..." Hitomi said.

"I'm betting you're in a not entirely different situation, Hii-chan," Chihiro said.

"How did you know...?" Hitomi said, briefly surprised.

"Intuition, based on how well I know you and why you'd ask about my situation," Chihiro said. "But also, I know how clubs work."

"Well, the leadership of the tankery team wasn't quite so encouraging," Hitomi said. "They essentially said we'd have to keep on coming to practice, or they wouldn't have us around even on the bench."

"Is that so?" Chihiro said. "Then it seems like they don't keep people around out of pity, but because they're of value to the team."

Hitomi nodded. A part of her found it disheartening that practice would likely be all she did for at least her first year. But anothe part saw it as her duty to the team, an opportunity to improve, and a chance to do tankery. She was no longer a little girl playing around in a tank, but one competing alongside her team, and she realized that by taking tankery more seriously, she was also enjoying it more.

* * *

_Present day_

"It was certainly very different from back then, when I was a member because the rest of you needed me," Hitomi said.

_"You could say that," _Emi thought. She had heard rumors that at Continuance, where friendships were key, getting good spots was more a matter of _who_ one knew rather than what one knew. But rumors were rumors, and Emi had heard too many unpleasant and false rumors about her own school- from its recruiting tactics to how it procured the funding for its tanks- to unquestioningly accept what she heard about others second-hand.

"That's true," Miho said, "and I'd go so far as to say that if we had been missing any one of us, we wouldn't have been able to use our tank. So if one of us had a problem, the others would pitch in to help out, and if two of us had a dispute, we'd have to resolve it if we wanted to keep going. In a sense, Oarai is somewhat reminiscent of that, given that every available girl is put into a tank."

"There are advantages in having some players to fall back on," Chihiro said. "If one player gets injured on my soccer team, we can call in a player from the bench to replace her, and we can rotate players in and out for certain games, especially exhibition matches. Essentially, the good of the team comes before that of any individual member."

Miho nodded. Perhaps a day would come when Oarai would grow to the point at which they had team members to spare, and Miho hoped that it would continue to be an effective and relatively inclusive team.

"Even back then, I understood the need to stay competitive," Hitomi said. "Our school lost to St. Gloriana, whose commander was apparently quite strict and ruthless."

"Do you mean Ceylon?" Emi said.

"Yeah, I think so," Hitomi said. "I heard she was from the Black Tea Garden. I found the name odd, so I asked our commander, Mika-san, about it, and she told me about the group."

"One of Satoha's old friends from middle school goes to St. Gloriana and heard about her," Emi said. "Satoha's friend describes Ceylon as a hotheaded and arrogant wannabe Nishizumi, who was a tyrant to compensate for the fact that she didn't know how to run a team. So don't confuse that bi... that girl's posturing with actual strength, Hitomi."

"I don't," Hitomi said, "although the fact is that there not only were people in my school who were better than I was, but there were tankers from other schools who were also better than _them_."

"I see what you mean," Miho said. "That can be discouraging sometimes. " Her school had sometimes struggled with their weakness compared to others, but had ultimately pulled through and proven that they could triumph.

"I made it to the regular team in my second year," Hitomi said, "which my senpais said was better than the average tanker. But even 'above average' effort didn't seem to hold a candle to Black Forest."

* * *

_Last year_

Hitomi opened the top hatch of her tank, and surveyed the battlefield. Her tank was one of the few on her side that had not been disabled, but it may as well have been. Looking a few hundred yards to the northwest, Hitomi saw her school's flag tank, a T-26 E Command Tank, disabled. Hitomi's group had been too late to reach the flag tank, and too weak to do much against the onslaught.

In spite of what she had heard, Hitomi found the result difficult to accept. Her team had won against Blue Division in the previous battle; their advantage had not been overwhelming, but they mostly had the upper hand from start until finish. And this time, they had been crushed under Black Forest's might, losing six tanks, including their flag tank, while Black Forest only lost two.

Hitomi remembered facing Nishizumi school students before. Maho was, even back then, calm, decisive and quite skilled, but the other three were prone to bickering and underestimated their untrained counterparts in Miho's team. That handicap, however, was only enough to enable Hitomi and her friends to eke out a near-victory.

Since then, Hitomi had come a long way, but it seemed as though the Nishizumi students had come even further. She believed she had done her best, having improved in both tankery and determination. But compared to the Nishizumi students' extensive training, her skill seemed to be paltry by comparison. And given the sacrifices and effort the Nishizumi disciples had made, her resolve to change herself and commit herself the same way her peers did seemed mediocre at best.

But Hitomi then remembered the time she and the others had helped Miho confront her mother, and how Shiho had coldly said that victory mattered above all else. The Nishizumi school's means of attaining success were means that Hitomi and her friends- both from childhood and at Continuance- could not accept, nor could they accept the idea that they were the only way to win.

So Hitomi vowed to seek a happy medium, to be dedicated but not obsessed. Perhaps she would not always win with that mindset, just as she had lost the practice battle against Maho, but she felt as though she would achieve something even more meaningful than victory.

* * *

_Present day_

"Some think that my perspective is defeatist, and I'm trying to justify my inability to win," Hitomi said. "But while I believe in trying hard, I also don't think winning is everything, and my commander, Mika, thinks the same way."

"I don't think so," Miho said, "and I think a lot of people would agree with you. The Atago school stresses self-improvement even in the face of defeat, even if their heiress and the instructor's elder daughter, Atago Hiroe-san, is one of the most competitive people I know."

"Incidentally, Miho-chan, your sister didn't seem to recognize me," Hitomi said. "It had been too long, and we'd met only a handful of times back then."

Hitomi's tone was the same as the one in which she used to describe her defeat- she was disappointed with what happened, but knew that it was a natural outcome.

"I see," Miho said. Perhaps if she asked Maho, she would remember Hitomi's name, but could not be expected to pick Hitomi's face out of a crowd. "If you'd like, I could ask to see if she remembers you."

"Well, I guess the Nishizumis can't be expected to remember everyone they defeat," Emi said. "I probably wouldn't remember Maho's face if she wasn't famous."

"And, of course, we lost this year to a newcomer," Hitomi said. "We weren't quite sure what to expect when we got Rinkai right off the bat, but we had some inkling by the time they defeated Bosporu. And yet, that wasn't enough to win."

* * *

_A few days ago_

Hitomi stood along with the rest of the team in the post-game ceremony for the match against Rinkai. As frustrating as she found her defeat, given it was her last chance to compete in the tournament, she had gotten used to accepting unfortunate results gracefully, thinking positively and pouring her efforts into a worthy endeavor as a means of coping, doing whatever she could to be of use to the team. While she had become more focused, mature and disciplined over time, she still had much of her youthful energy, and her teammates appreciated her giving her all.

As the crowd dispersed and started to go home, Emi turned and walked toward her, not having noticed her in the pre-match greetings.

"Hitomi?" Emi said, hoping that Hitomi still remembered her and was fine with her using her first name.

"That's me," Hitomi said, reacting reflexively and addressing Emi as she once did. After a moment, she turned and recognized the speaker. "Wait, Emi-chan?! Is that you?"

"Yeah," Emi said. "It's been a while, Hitomi."

Hitomi charged forward and threw her arms around Emi, causing her to fiercely brush and protest.

"You know her, Emi?" Satoha said, turning to Emi.

Emi let off a sigh as she released herself from Hitomi's arms, not having wanted Satoha to see Hitomi's display of affection.

"Yeah, she's Yuzumoto Hitomi, a friend from the summer I spent in Japan," Emi said, as she broke free of Hitomi's embrace. "Hitomi, this is Tsujigaito Satoha, a Japanese exchange student I met and befriended in Germany, as well as my commander."

"Nice to meet you," Hitomi and Satoha said, as they bowed to each other.

"I'm honestly surprised that you're still doing tankery, Hitomi," Emi said, impressed. "You changed quite a bit in the time I knewt you, but I wasn't sure how far this newfound determination would carry you."

"It hasn't always been easy, Emi-chan," Hitomi said. "But I've learned that nothing worthwhile ever truly is. Chii-chan's helped me understand that, even if she's no longer doing tankery, and she showed up to support me."

"Chihiro's at this school too?!" Emi said.

"Yeah, talk about happy coincidences, Emi-chan," Chihiro said, making her presence known to the others there. She had come to support the team, but was not expecting to see Emi there, since neither she nor Chihiro attended the tournament drawing.

"Speak of the devil..." Emi said.

"Yeah," Chihiro said. "Congratulations on your victory, Emi-chan, Tsujigaito-san."

"Thank you," Satoha said. "You must be Yusa Chihiro-san. Emi told me about you."

Emi let off a brief chuckle. She and Chihiro had often butted heads when they were younger, and even after the group had stabilized, they were the among the most prone to disagreements.

"I can only imagine what she's told you about me..." Chihiro said. "But it's nice to meet you, too, Tsujigaito-san."

Satoha briefly checked her phone, and, seeing a text message from the coach, turned to Emi.

"I hate to break this reunion up," Satoha said, "but we will need to get going soon. The coach is impressed that we won again, but we've got to get back and prepare for the next match."

Hitomi sighed but nodded. She knew enough that, win or lose, tankery teams had to keep working hard and improving themselves, whether or the next round or their next shot at the tournament. That sort of resolve was what carried her this far, and she hoped that it would take her team to greater heights in the future.

"Alright," Emi said. "Here's my contact info, so let's talk in a few days. I have one other person I want to introduce to you... or should I say, _re-introduce._"

Both Hitomi and Chihiros faces lit up, immediately recognizing the name. While Hitomi had defeated, at long last, their group of friends from many years ago would be reunited. That alone made the day worthwhile, and they eagerly awaited the day when they would talk again.

* * *

_Present day_

"We didn't have all that much time to talk," Hitomi said. "But Emi-chan did arrange for us to talk again, while arranging this as a surprise for you, Miho-chan, so I'm glad we met her again."

"As am I," Chihiro said. "But I don't think we've heard about what happened to Emi-chan yet."

"So she didn't tell you when you met her earlier?" Miho said. "I heard some of it already, but I'm interested in hearing it again."

"I didn't tell either of them," Emi said. "So, shoot."

"What kind of school was the one you went to back in Germany, Emi-chan?" Chihiro said. "Does it have a theme of any kind?"

"It's a standard German high school," Emi said. "It has a full lineup of German tanks, but not the German theme. It's a bit like the standard Japanese high school Oarai in that sense, rather than the Japanese-themed Japanese high school, Chihatan."

"I see," Miho said. "When you told me about it earlier, it reminded me of Oarai Academy in that sense. Oarai Academy has no unifying theme for its tanks, nor does it have one for its school. The school is very much like a traditional Japanese school, with the students wearing a sailor fuku that they might wear anywhere else."

"I see what you mean," Chihiro said, "although there's a fair amount of variety among 'ordinary' high schools. The national theme seems to be the one that's most easily noticed. "

"So..." Hitomi began, "it'd be like if Oarai's like a vanilla cake without frosting, Black Forest is a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting, Emi-chan's high school is like a chocolate cake without frosting, and there aren't any chocolate cakes with chocolate frosting?"

Chihiro chuckled, but because she was not pushing the button to talk, none of her friends heard her.

"That's a bit of an odd way to put it, Hitomi, but it works," Emi said. "My school was a standard German high school, even if the team was uniformly German."

"So that's how they're like Black Forest," Hitomi said.

"That's where the similarity ends, though," Emi said. "They do take things a lot more seriously than most Japanese schools, albeit not to the extent as Black Forest. I think Miho might have fit in there, and probably would have become commander if she'd so desired."

"Possibly," Miho said. "I didn't originally choose to lead Oarai, but now, I'm glad that I became commander. It's a way for me to help my comrades become better at tankery, my own way."

Emi silently acknowledged Miho's declaration, reaching the answer she'd been searching for all those years.

"Of course, there's something I didn't tell you around the time I was leaving, but I'm sure you figured it out on your own," Emi said. "As much as I disliked your sister back then, I realized that I had one thing in common with her, to an extent- going forward in tankery, determined to win but not understanding why."

"That's sort of a stretch, Emi-chan," Chihiro said, "unless your family wanted you to do it. You did say you had an older sister who did tankery, right?"

"Yeah, I did," Emi said. "She was pretty serious about it, and I hoped to do at least that much, if I wanted to get involved. Back then I didn't understand how into it the Nishizumi school was, or that I was more like them than I realized, pushing myself so far and being impatient with those who seemed to be just playing around. It's ironic, really, considering how much I hated the Nishizumi school back then."

"I remember you saying something like that the last time you had Hii-chan and I over before you left," Chihiro said.

Emi silently concurred. She had long since deduced that Chihiro and her friends had told Miho about what they had discussed, thereby going against her express wishes. In the end, though, since Miho had found her answer on her own, Emi had determined that it did not matter whether she was the impetus, and was simply glad that Miho had realized what she had.

"So did I, Chii-chan," Hitomi said. "But what changed, exactly, Emi-chan?"

"It was just after you all saw me off that I thought more about it," Emi said. "I didn't come up with anything immediately, but it did set me on the path to finding the answers."

* * *

_Six years ago_

Emi sat in her seat on the train as it pulled away from the Panzer IV crewed by Miho and the rest of her friends from Japan. While the Panzer IV had pulled up to the train, it could not stay there forever, since the girls had already said their goodbyes, and were now hoping to get back before they got in trouble.

As the Panzer IV faded into the distance, with the last thing Emi saw being it turning around to go back, Emi turned back to her mother, who spoke once she had her attention. Friede Nakasuga was Emi's German parent, a woman with long red hair, who spoke with a German accent and introduced herself with her name in Western order.

"Your friends certainly have a flair for the dramatic, Emi," Friede said.

"Well, Mom, I suspect it's because they had no other choice," Emi said. "It took Miho this long to find out an answer to all her tankery-related problems, tentative as it may be. It probably won't be easy with that overbearing mother of hers, but it's a first step, and I'm confident she'll continue down this path."

Friede took a moment to process her daughter's calling Miho by her first name.

"And to be honest, Mom, it's not just for your sake that I'm going back to Germany," Emi continued. "It's also for the sake of finding my own way of doing tankery. I'm not a fan of just playing around, but at the same time, I can't do things the Nishizumis can. How, then, should I do tankery?"

"I think the phrase that you're looking for is 'a happy medium,' Emi," Friede said. "Do it seriously, but also do it for fun. But most of all, do it your own way."

"Thanks, Mom," Emi said. This principle was like laying the groundwork for the building of her own way of tankery. It was not enough to get her very far, but it was an important step that would lay the foundation for the future.

* * *

At the airport, Emi and her mother met up with Nakasuga Asuka, Emi's older sister, who had finished preparations of her own, and was waiting for her mother and her sister. The family had a set of four tickets back to Germany, and

On the flight back to Germany, Emi, sitting in the window seat next to her sister, decided to ask a question she had in mind. The trip would be a long one, and now was as good a time as any.

"Nee-san?" Emi said. "Why did you get involved in tankery in the first place?"

"I'm not sure where to begin, Emi, or what kind of answer you're looking for," Asuka said. "What brought this on?"

"Well, I've been thinking," Emi said. "Miho and her sister have always been expected to do tankery just because their family wants them to do so. Miho has always wanted to emulate her sister... until she learned that her sister hoped that she would do things her own way."

"I see," Asuka said, intrigued to hear more about her former opponent. "But what about you, Emi? Our family is nothing like the Nishizumis, so there's no pressure on you to do tankery a certain way- or not to do it."

"I know, but now that I think of it, it's not all that different for me," Emi said. "I got interested in tankery because you, my sister, were doing it. So I have to wonder- how did you first get started in tankery? Who influenced you?"

Asuka paused to consider her sister's question. In this case, the facts were clear enough, but they were not the only thing Emi needed to hear. She needed an answer that appropriately answered the doubts that led her to ask this question, and Asuka was unsure she could give such an answer.

"There isn't much of a story," Asuka said. "No one told me to do it or why to do it; I'd just heard about it for so long that when my middle school announced they were recruiting, I decided to try it out."

"I see," Emi said. A part of her had hoped that her sister's answer would be more conclusive and give her more to work with.

"Sorry, Emi," Asuka said. "I suppose that wasn't very helpful."

"Actually, Nee-san, it gave me some idea of what I should do," Emi said. "It's just like Mom said; the fact is that no one can tell me why I should do tankery any more than they can tell Miho how to do it."

Emi looked out the window at the almost endless sea of clouds below the plane. They still had a long way to go on their trip, and it seemed even longer before Emi could truly work on finding her own way of tankery. At this moment, Emi realized the difficulty of what she had asked of Miho, whose mother was far less supportive of her independent initiative than Emi's was.

But difficult or not, Emi realized that this process was one that she and Miho would have to go through. As such, she hoped that by the time they met each other again, they would be able to tell each other the answers they had found.

* * *

_Present day_

"I was far less certain of myself than I let on when we parted ways," Emi said. "As one might expect, it's easy to go around spouting off about your ideal, but it's harder to put it into practice, and make sacrifices for it."

"That's right," Miho said. "And it's because the Nishizumis have done that in the past that they're so confident about arguing in favor of it, making it somewhat more difficult for me to stand my ground and defend my own position."

"Yeah, but I don't get it," Hitomi said. "Even if Miho-chan is in disagreement with the Nishizumi school, shouldn't she be able to practice her style? She doesn't have any interest in running the school, then it shouldn't be a problem for her to do as she wishes."

"You met her mother, Hitomi," Emi said. "She's not very tolerant of her daughter's disagreements with her, and it probably got worse after Black Forest didn't win two years ago."

Miho nodded.

"That's true, Emi-chan," Miho said, "and that has caused me some...difficulties." She then moved to change the subject. "But you were about to mention what you were going to do about it?"

"Right," Emi said. "As I said before, Germany's schools are more serious than most tankery schools except for Black Forest and maybe Pravda."

"So... stricter than my schools, right?" Hitomi said, once again feeling insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

"Right," Emi said, "but strict does not equal tyrannical. You wouldn't have been guaranteed a spot on the team, but your coach would probably be willing to respect your efforts. It's probably similar in some ways to Chihiro's old soccer team at Troika, except more people know what they're getting into at the start and don't get cold feet."

"Probably," Chihiro said, "although I can't help but wonder if you say what you do because your standards are somewhat higher, Emi-chan."

"Maybe," Emi said. "But my perspective was still being shaped and formed at the time, as I learned more about tankery. I was still learning many of the basics, including how to command, which I had to do first, much like how painters have to learn how to use a brush before they can develop their own style and commit their artistic visions to canvas."

"I agree," Miho said. "The years that I did tankery until coming to Oarai did teach me a great deal about the basic skills of tankery. I never could do tankery the Nishizumi way, but without that experience, I may not have become what I am today."

"Neither would I," Emi said. 'But while my middle school years taught me the basics, and did leave their impact on me, I was most influenced by my high school years."

"As was I," Miho said. "What happened in your time there?"

"It was about two years ago, that I met a girl named Tsujigaito Satoha- Miho met her in the tank cafe, while Hitomi met her during our match," Emi said. "At the time I met her, Satoha was a Japanese exchange student, who studied abroad since starting high school."

* * *

_Two years ago_

Emi met with Satoha in the tankery hangar of her high school. While willing to meet with the exchange student, Emi realized that before any conversation with Satoha could begin, they would first have to settle on the language that they would be speaking.

"Just wondering, but do you speak German or Japanese?" Emi said, in Japanese.

"(Both,)" Satoha replied in German. "(Japanese is my native tongue, but I could use practice in German.)"

"(That works fine with me,)" Emi said in German, remembering how she had used Japanese while in Japan. "(I'm Emi Nakasuga and it's nice to meet you...)"

"(Satoha,)" Satoha said. "(Satoha Tsujigaito. It's nice to meet you, too.)"

Satoha extended her hand for a handshake, and Emi, after a moment of hesitation, shook it.

"(I hope that was alright with you, Emi,)" Satoha said, "(and my calling you by your first name is as well. You spent some time in Japan, so I was wondering if you wanted to adhere to their customs)."

Emi chuckled slightly.

"(Nah, the idea of being so polite all the time didn't really click with me,)" Emi said, "(especially not having to be so formal with people all the time, _Satoha_. The worst part, however, was having to keep your opinions to yourself and suck up to people.)"

"(To be honest, you do have to watch what you say in Germany, even if they have different standards of what you can and can't say)," Satoha said. "(There will always be those more powerful than you, and some things that simply aren't appropriate to say. Part of growing up involves coming to understand that)."

Emi sighed and nodded. As a result of becoming more mature, and a few cases of learning the hard way, one of which nearly cost her a friendship, Emi had become more mindful of others' feelings.

"(Yeah, I know,)" Emi said. "(But what I do like, Satoha, is that you're willing to come out and openly disagree with me, despite our only just having met. And you do seem like the type who's fine with othes disagreeing iwth you.)"

"(That, in and of itself, isn't a big deal,)" Satoha said. "(As long as you're reasonably polite about it and don't say anything that would be clearly out of line, you shouldn't worry about what others will think about holding a different opinion. Besides, I've been prepared for few people to share my values, and that's part of the reason why I came here.)"

* * *

_Present day_

"Satoha was a person who found German culture to be a bit of an adjustment," Emi said. "Having worn a uniform in middle school, she had to get used to the idea of wearing what she wants, within reason. During her orientation, she was slightly taken aback when someone she'd just met called her by her first name. But over time, it grew on her, and she's a bit of a Germanophile."

"I suspect she'd be disappointed by Black Forest," Miho said. "There isn't that much German culture at the school, even if it's German-themed. You seem to know this, Emi-chan, and I think Tsujigaito-san is most likely aware as well."

"Well, she is," Emi said, "although she mainly complains about the school's almost decade-long winning streaks. That's the thing she misses least about Japan."

"You mean it's different in Germany?" Chihiro said.

"Yeah," Emi said. "It's rare for the same school to win the tournament twice in a row, and three consecutive tournament victories has almost never happened, save for one time a couple years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Our school, a fairly strong contender in the tournament, won the tournament the year before I came there, but hadn't won it for five years before that victory. People were more or less fine with that five year losing streak, to the point at which they'd hesitate ot call it that.."

"It makes sense that Tsujigaito-san would feel the way she does about Black Forest if she experienced that," Miho said.

"Yeah, Satoha found watching the Japanese tournaent boring," Emi said, "since the same people won so often. She pretty much only watched it because I was interested- because I was a friend and because she enjoyed my commentary on it."

"But two years ago, there was the accident in the finals," Miho said.

"Back then, I wasn't expecting anything of that nature to happen, even if it was in character for you to make that decision," Emi said. "So you can imagine that seeing that turn of events, and you at the center of them, was quite a shock to me."

* * *

_Two years ago_

Emi and Satoha sat in a lounge in their dormitory building, watching the finals of the Japanese tankery tournament on TV, with a special channel devoted to Japanese broadcasts.

Satoha wondered what the point of watching a tournament with an almost predetermined winner was. While her and Emi's school had been eliminated in the semifinals this year, she had found the back and forth match between Churchill Girls' High School and Rising Sun Academy to be an exciting battle. The outcome, in which the latter defeated the former, succeeding where Satoha, Emi and their teammates had failed, was a pleasing case of an underdog triumphing.

"(It's nice that Pravda's still fighting, but I don't see how this can end well for them,)" Satoha said in German. "(They've gained an advantageous position, but they've lost so many of their tanks already, perhaps too many to fight back effectively.)"

"(Well, anything could happen at this point,)" Emi said. "(One shot on the flag tank is all they need)"

"(In theory, but I doub they could manage it)," Satoha said. "(Black Forest has taken some losses, but they're better put together at the moment than Pravda. If this goes on for much longer, Pravda will be broken down to the point at which they can't fight back effectively.)"

"(But look there,)" Emi said. "(Black Forest did have to take the flag tank away from the main group)."

Suddenly, the tank in the lead of the flag tank's group began sliding off the cliff path and into the water.

"(It's just like my sister in middle school!)" Emi said. "(But this time, Pravda doesn't seem to be helping out)"

"(They don't seem to know what's going on,)" Satoha said. "(It's a lot easier to judge a situation as a spectator than it is to do so as a participant.)"

Hesitant to make the same mistake that she did with Maho, Emi decided to continue watching, and find out what everyone saw and thought later. Perhaps not even the camera showed everything there was to see. At that point, Emi then noticed Miho climbing out of the tank.

"(Wait, is that Miho?)" Emi said.

"(Your friend from Japan?)" Satoha said. "(The younger daughter of Instructor Nishizumi?)"

Emi nodded.

The two watched speechlessly as the Pravda tanks advanced on and shot the commander-less Black Forest flag tank.

"Pravda wins the tournament!" the announcer said.

As the announcer's statement, one they had never expected to hear, echoed in their minds, Satoha and Emi found themselves unable to say anything in Japanese, German or any other language.

Finally, Satoha broke the silence, as the TV broadcasted the post-game ceremonies, with Hiroe taking the championship flag, as she had an oddly forced smile on her face.

"(I can't believe it...)" Satoha said. "(Did the younger daughter of the head of the Nishizumi school, instructed to win at all costs, abandon the flag tank to save those girls? Did the seemingly invincible Black Forest just _lose_?)"

"(I'd be more surprised if Miho _didn't_ do something like that,)" Emi said, "(since that tenet of the Nishizumi school never sat well with her. Even her older sister doesn't really like that. As for Black Forest losing, yeah, that just happened.)"

"(For the first time in about a decade,)" Satoha said, thinking back to where she was when she was eight; a grade schooler who was only dreaming about doing tankery, rather than a teenager who was competing in the tournament. "(There will be repercussions from this, to be sure)".

"(Unfortunately, I think they'll just scapegoat whoever was responsible and keep on going the way they always have been,)" Emi said.

Emi's thoughts went back to Miho. When Miho realized what kinds of decisions her sister had to make in tankery as the Nishizumi heiress, she wondered if she could continue at all. Maho and Emi both knew that Miho enjoyed tankey when she could do it with friends, and so encouraged Miho to do it her own way and for her reasons, rather than under the Nishizumi style or for the sake of her family. But would her family or her school stand for this?

The irrepressible part of Emi, a fire burning within her that had been tempered but not extinguished by her increased maturity, found the idea of Miho being cowed into submission by her family unacceptable. Having come to realize the sacrifices Maho had made, it seemed unfair to rob Miho of the freedom her sister hoped she would have. And would people really criticize Miho, with several being grateful to her for saving their lives?

Perhaps if Miho were the same person Emi remembered, it would be difficult for her to stand her ground on this issue. But Emi believed that what Miho had done was right, and that was all there was to it.

_"Miho, a lot of people are probably going to give you hell for what you just did,"_ Emi thought, _"In spite of that, __I hope you persist, because their opinions aren't the ones that matter, and winning wasn't why you enjoyed doing tankery with me and with the other two. Those days might be behind us, but I hope you didn't also leave behind your love of tankery."_

* * *

_Present day_

"I'd been hearing Miho's name here and there, but this was the first time I actually saw her since leaving for Germany," Emi said. "It seemed as though Miho could, even in a situation like the one that had transpired, do what she thought she must in spite of all the pressure against her."

"Unfortunately, Emi-chan, the pressure got to be too great for me, and I did end up leaving Black Forest, as you most likely heard," Miho said. "My sister and the friends I had saved had hoped it wouldn't come to that, and my parents and coach would have preferred that I persist and rededicate myself to victory. But I believed that as long as I stayed there, I would be pressured to do tankery the Nishizumi way."

Emi let off a sigh. She had not heard much about Miho since then, since she did not have Miho's contact information in the years since they had parted ways, just as Miho had lost touch with Chihiro and Hitomi. While virtually all those who watched tankery eagerly debated and discussed what Miho had done, few knew or talked about what had become of her, largely the result of Maho and Shiho officially reporting that Miho had left for personal reasons. Even that much was largely reported as an afterthought.

"I understand what you mean, Miho-chan," Chihiro said. "I felt the same way as Emi-chan when I heard about it. But in retrospect, I believe it was naive for us to think that your mother would have let you do as you pleased. Strict parents not only have high standards, but tend to keep their children on a short leash; my mother keeps in touch with my coach and my guidance counselor to stay on top of how I'm doing at school."

"Well, I suppose it was difficult for you to resist your mother's will," Emi said to Miho. "But at the same time, I thought that giving up on tankery was essentially letting your mother control you, even if you didn't give her what she wanted. So after seeing you drop off the radar between the end of the last tournament and the start of the next one, I was glad that the next thing I heard about you was that you were back in tankery, and leading rather than following. Seeing you just give up would have really pissed me off if the idea weren't so depressing."

Miho nodded solemnly. While she had believed that it would be impossible to continue in tankery as long as she was bound by her mother's expectations, she realized that she had never truly been prepared to give up what was such an important part of herself.

"Yes; in retrospect, I do believe that giving up on tankery was not a solution," Miho said. "Thankfully, Oarai was more accommodating to my style of tankery, even in the face of a threat to its existence, which was a far more concrete reason to demand success than Black Forest had. The former student council tried to forcibly recruit me, but in the end, I went along willingly, with the support of and for the sake of my new friends."

"That's good to hear," Emi said, "even if I didn't think Oarai was up to the task of taking down Black Forest at first."

"Neither did most people, Emi-chan," Miho said. "That worked to my advantage in that it ensured that my opponents would underestimate me, while there was relatively less pressure to win, at least at first."

"Ah, right, your school getting shut down if you didn't win," Emi said. "I heard about it before, as did most people, some time after the semifinals match. I still find it hard to believe that a school's very existence would be on the line in tankery. But it seems you were able to withstand the pressure and triumph."

"Still, doesn't it seem unfair, Miho-chan?" Hitomi said. "You wanted to avoid all this pressure, but then you were expected to succeed so that your new school could stay open."

"I'd hoped never to face such pressure, Hitomi-chan," Miho said, "but that fact was not something I could change. I had a chance to avert what was otherwise inevitable, to eliminate a threat that had been in place before I arrived, for the sake of those who have come to Oarai this year, and will attend Oarai after I graduate. So I did what I could, and was able to succeed, against all odds."

"I get it," Emi said. "And a lot of people are glad your school's still around."

"But what about you, Emi-chan?" Chihiro said. "What were you doing around this time?"

"After the unexpected outcome last year, Satoha gradually became more interested in the Japanese tournament," Emi said, "although I don't think Oarai got onto her radar until they defeated St. Gloriana. As for me, I was a bit surprised that you were the leader, but soon realized that it was probably due to you being one of the few with any real experience."

"That's more or less how it was," Miho said, "although I wasn't the only one."

"True," Emi said. "Of course, we had a tournament of our own to deal with, and while neither the stakes nor odds against us were as high, the result was the same as yours. We'd become the commander and vice-captain of the team that year, and led our team to victory."

"So how do you do things, Emi-chan?" Miho said.

Emi chuckled. She had told Miho a little about her team in one of her previous conversations, but was not about to divulge tactically sensitive information..

"I'm not about to show anyone my playbook, Miho- not even you," Emi said. "But, all in all, my team was a bit stricter than what you're used to, albeit not as much as Black Forest. If you're on the team, I expect you to believe that we can win and do your best. If you can't do that, then I have no need of you."

Emi paused for the briefest of moments, realizing that she was coming across fairly harsh, almost like the way she perceived the Nishizumis.

"But I won't cut someone loose if they're trying as hard as they can, nor will I leave a tank full of girls to drown, regardless of whether they're my teammates or my opponents," Emi continued. "My goal is to win against the people who do things that way, not sink to their level."

"So did you end up facing people like that, Emi-chan?" Hitomi said.

"Surprisingly not," Emi said. "The first couple opponents were mediocre, and our opponent in the semifinals, while strong, wasn't entirely hardcore; perhaps they're a bit like Saunders. My final opponent was, if anything, at a disadvantage against us. They lost, but not before making a more valiant effort against us than some might have expected."

* * *

_Last year_

As the sun set on the urban battlefield, the site of the final match in the German tankery tournament finals, the crowd was on the edge of their seats as the losing school made one last assault on Satoha and Emi's team's flag tank.

The schools participating in the finals were Satoha and Emi's school, as well as Napoleon High School. Some would have thought that Napoleon, based on its elimination against Satoha and Emi's school the previous year, could not have presented a credible threat to them.

Satoha, however, disagreed. She knew the school had a less than stellar run the previous year compared to its other efforts, even if she could only guess why. But she believed in the potential of schools to change. A promising freshman had taken control of the team.

In the end, despite, or perhaps because, of the fact that Satoha took Napoleon seriously, Napoleon was defeated. Their bold final assault with all their remaining tanks, hoping to punch a hole in Satoha's lines, was stopped cold, even if Satoha had suffered quite a few casualties in the process. Napoleon High School's flag tank had been disabled, as Emi fired a shot at close range before it could take aim at Satoha's flag tank.

At the end of the game, the commanders of both teams exchanged handshakes.

"(Thank you for the game,)" Satoha said to her opponent at the post-game ceremony. "(That last attack of yours made things interesting)".

"(I'm glad to hear that,)" Satoha's opponent said. "(You also performed better than we thought. I'd assumed that since we took out Churchill and Rising Sun, we'd have a chance against you, but I was wrong.)"

"(No, you weren't)," Satoha said. "(The fact that we won doesn't necessarily mean that our victory had been set in stone)."

"(I suppose so,)" Satoha's opponent said, starting to leave. "(I hope to play against you again someday.)"

"(Same here)," Satoha said before rejoining Emi.

After a brief ceremony, Satoha's school accepted the championship flag while hearing the cheers of their family, friends and fans.

"(That was fun)," Satoha said to Emi after the ceremony. "(Not all that many people were betting on us to win, and I'm interested in seeing who will rise to the finals next time)."

"(The Japanese finals should be coming up fairly soon)," Emi said. "(Apparently, Miho's school made it all the way to the final round in its first year and are facing off against the champions)."

"That should be interesting to see, at least," Satoha said. "I'm not entirely convinced they'll succeed, since Napoleon failed despite being at less of a disadvantage against us than Oarai is against Black Forest. But they've been putting up a valiant effort so far, so it should be fun to watch them."

"Glad to hear that," Emi said. While she appreciated Satoha's willingness to watch the finals with her, she was happy that Satoha was genuinely starting to enjoy it herself.

* * *

_Present day_

"Luckily, I wasn't the only one here who won the national high school tournament," Emi said. "Miho's school pulled through narrowly, after an impressive fight."

"We did," Miho said, "although it was a difficult to fight, and we never forget that it wasn't guaranteed."

"So, Emi-chan," Chihiro said, "you, like Tsujigaito-san, would like to see more people who can threaten the established champions in the field of Japanese tankery?"

"Right," Emi said. "I, for one, was tired of Miho's mother looking down on us, and refused to accept that people like us couldn't defeat Black Forest, so I hoped to stir things up somehow."

"And you think your school's the one to do it?" Chihiro said.

"Right again," Emi said, her tone cocksure. "To put a long story short, Rinkai, a private multicultural school with many exchange students, is finally getting a tankery team together. It took a while to get the support from the various countries to get the different tanks, but now we've got them, and some students who are talented exchange students."

"Including yourself?" Chihiro said playfully.

"Well, after winning the tournament, we did catch the recruiter's notice," Emi said.

* * *

_Last year_

A few weeks after the tournament victory, Satoha and Emi arrived for a meeting with a scout in their coach's office. When they saw a platinum-haired woman with a dark business suit, they immediately recognized her as the person who had come to meet them.

"(Hello, and thank you for coming)," Alexandra said in German. "(My name is Alexandra Windheim, the tankery coach for Rinkai All Girls School.)"

"(I'm Satoha Tsujigaito and she's Emi Nakasuga,)" Satoha said. "(It's nice to meet you.)"

Alexandra offered her hand for a handshake, shaking hands with Satoha and Emi.

"(It's nice to meet you, too,)" Alexandra said. "(To begin with, would you feel more comfortable speaking Japanese or German?)"

"We can speak either, Coach Windheim," Emi said. "Japanese is Satoha's native tongue, and German is mine, but we're each comfortable in the other."

"Good," Alexandra said. "Like you, I'm also from Germany, but I'd like to see how good your Japanese is, since that's what's relevant here. I'd like to congratulate the two of you on winning the tournament, and formally extend an invitation to come do tankery at the Rinkai All Girls School tankery team."

"In Japan, right?" Emi said. "It's been a while since I was in that country, and to be honest, I felt like a bit of an outsider when I was there."

"You won't be the only one," Alexandra said. "Various other people are coming there, from various different countries with their own cultural baggage. The school, as you may have heard, caters to exchange students, and has an international theme."

"Really?" Satoha said. "How do things work over there?"

"Rinkai's goal is an atmosphere that is inclusive to many others from other countries," Alexandra said. "We do have our own rules and standards that we expect our students to comply with, even if they're not what they would be used to. For example, you must wear a uniform to school, or you will be sent home. We do what we can to help students adjust, but no one is exempt from the rules."

A part of Emi was less than pleased to hear this part, particularly having to wear a uniform but she quickly put that out of her mind. Neither Satoha, who had worn a sailor fuku to school every day in middle school, nor Alexandra, who wore a suit to work every day, would have much patience with her griping over a relatively minor matter. Most of all, though, Emi respected Alexandra for being up front with everything involved in what she was proposing, including what Emi did not wish to hear.

"However, what's most important of all is keeping an open mind, both of the country you're visiting, and of the things your fellow visitors bring to the table," Alexandra said. "As such, if you're willing to do what is asked of you and participate in the school community, you'll get a great deal out of your time at Rinkai."

Alexandra passed Emi and Satoha two copies of the Rinkai brochure. The front color had a few girls, from a variety of different races and ethnicities, wearing the uniform. As Emi resigned herself to the fact that it was one of many things she would have to get used to, she also realized that it was an interesting metaphor for the school; people from various backgrounds uniting for a common purpose, an attempt at preserving everyone's individuality while achieving a degree of conformity necessary for an organization.

The conversation turned to Emi and Satoha's tankery careers, as well as some of their personalities. It lasted a little over an hour, with roughly twenty minutes for each girl, and more than twenty for various other questions.

"So, what do you two think?" Alexandra said. "Do you think you have what it takes to do well at Rinkai? Would you enjoy coming here?"

Emi nodded. While she was younger, she had a tendency to speak her mind even when it hurt other people's feelings, and she once described herself as socially being a bull in a china shop. But as she got older, she became better at expressing herself.

"I'll do my best," Emi said. "It sounds like an eye-opening experience."

Satoha nodded in agreement.

"Well said, Emi," Alexandra said. "I don't expect an answer from you today, and it will take some time to set up, but please think this over."

On the walk home, Satoha and Emi discussed what they had heard.

"All in all, I'm pretty enthusiastic about what I heard," Emi said, "although it will be a big step. What about you, Satoha?"

"For me, it'll essentially be going home once again," Satoha said. "Of course, I'm still living and going to school on a school ship, but in this case, I'll often be a few hundred kilometers from my parents, rather than _several thousand_."

Emi nodded.

"Some, after wining the tournament, wonder what their next step is," Emi said. "They may, after winning a national tournament, want to go up to an international level. I'm looking forward to the idea of helping out a new team."

* * *

_Present day_

"Satoha and I talked with our parents, of course," Emi said. "Satoha's folks wanted her to spend her final year of high school in Japan, and go to university there. My parents saw it as a potentially good opportunity to learn from other cultures. And that's how I ended up at Rinkai."

"What about your schoolmates, Emi-chan?" Miho said.

"The coach was sad to see us go, but found Rinkai a fairly exciting prospect," Emi said. "She's proud when her students move on upward to bigger and better things, and on the bulletin board in her office, she posts articles about alumni and their accomplishments."

"Sounds nice," Hitomi said. "I wonder if Black Forest is proud of Miho-chan."

"I don't think so, Hitomi," Emi said. "She won, but not _their_ way, and ended up defeating them. Aside from Maho, who's probably proud of her sister, they probably think of her as the girl who cost them two championships- once as an ally and once as an enemy- and she may yet do so a third time."

Miho shook her head. A part of her wanted to point out that Maho's joy in her accomplishments was a fact, not a possibility, but she decided that it was a minor detail for now.

"You might be surprised to hear this," Miho said, "but while the coach was disappointed to see me leave, she respected my accomplishments at Oarai, saying that it took courage, as well as many other things, to lead an untried team to victory. She's... hard on those who fail, but she believes it's most important that students persist and learn from their failures."

Emi paused as she heard a detail that Miho had not mentioned in any of their previous conversations.

"Interesting..." Emi said. "Perhaps I don't know as much about Black Forest or the Nishizumi school as I thought, just like I didn't really know your sister before."

Miho nodded, but realized that for the moment, she would likely not have time to tell Emi.

"It's getting a little late," Miho said. "Perhaps I can tell you more of my story next time, Hitomi-chan, Chihiro-chan. You heard most of the major events, but I'd like to tell you about my school and the friends I made there."

"It sounds like quite the story, Miho-chan," Chihiro said.

"Yeah," Hitomi said. "I'm glad you didn't give up tankery, Miho-chan."

"So am I, Hitomi-chan," Miho said. "Tankery was the reason we met in the first place, after all, and it brought us together again. Let's talk again soon, everyone."

As Miho logged off, she reflected on how far everyone had come since they played together as children. They all had found paths they could follow. They had come a long way from playing around in a tank, and could do things seriously. And most importantly, they were not only better at tankery, but found it more fun and fulfilling. Miho was glad to see them again after all these years, to see them having come this far, and hoped to show them how much she had changed.

_"It looks like the two of us found our own ways of tankery, Emi-chan,"_ Miho thought. _"I hope to face you and see you demonstrate yours."_

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Like Miho's Interlude, this is meant to bridge the gap between Little Army and the present, although there's an additional year, and a very eventful one, to cover.

Incidentally, it seems that, in the Little Army sequel, Emi and Hitomi eventually ended up on the same team, one that seems entirely unlike Rinkai. It's one of many ways that canon develops in ways that I can't anticipate, and it seems many other fanfic writers have encountered something similar.

From here on out, parenthetical text denotes speech in a non-Japanese language.

A Side Story has been posted about a critical experience for Emi that she was hesitant to mention in this Interlude (partly because the chapter was getting extremely long, and partly because Emi's looking for a good time to tell it). With it, I have now archived **one million words** on this site. I don't have anything special to commemorate this occasion, except to thank everyone for the support and feedback thus far.

**Character Analysis: Hitomi Yuzumoto**

Of all of Miho's friends from Little Army, Hitomi probably best represents the kind of friend she has at Oarai, given that she shares some traits with Miho's "converts" to tankery. Like Saori, she's cheerful, energetic and ignorant about tanks. Like Hana, she's a subpar driver who finds a niche in another role (albeit as a loader rather than a gunner). Like Mako, she's less than committed at first, but gradually gets more involve in tankery.

You may recall that Hitomi's interest is like fireworks; intensely bright but very brief. I chose to have her face some degree of rejection and adversity to showcase how she's become more disciplined and determined over time. A small cue that indicates how much she's changed is that in the last chapter of Little Army, she starts working on her driving, which was her weakest area. This signifies a willingness to work hard to improve herself and do things that are difficult for her.

Her results are less impressive than Miho's, but they don't have to be. It's tempting to have all the characters who studied in one group rise to similar heights together, but this isn't always the case; for example, in Muhyo and Roji, the eponymous Muhyo went to the academy with his friends Yoichi, Biko and Enchu. After graduating, Muhyo became the youngest Executor (highest Magical Law rank), while Yoichi- who knew he wouldn't measure up to Muhyo- became a Judge (second highest rank), Biko became an Artificer (separate career track), and Enchu, after losing the Executor position to Miho, as well as the mother he'd hoped to care for (he has a similar goal to Mako's, but unlike Muhyo, not her work ethic), snapped and turned evil. This shows that peers can have different degrees of talent and aspirations, so perhaps Hitomi, not unlike Yoichi, has a somewhat humbler goal, one that is meaningful in its own way.

**Character Analysis: Chihiro Yusa**

Chihiro changes the least in Little Army, although I suspect that as the stabilizing force of the group, she's the most sure of herself, compared to the flighty Hitomi and the somewhat meek Miho. Even Emi implies that her values had been challenged.

Chihiro seems to understand some of what Miho is going through, having a somewhat similar family situation. Because she can't oppose her mother, she has some idea of why Maho does what she does, even if it's unpleasant to herself or Miho. And because she enjoys soccer but is pressured to succeed, she has some idea of why excessive pressure would turn Miho off of tankery, as well as that the fact that she does enjoy it is most important.

It's suggested that of all the girls who do tankery in high school, few can or want to make a career out of it. Chihiro drops out earlier than most, because she has found something she can focus on. Her attitude was meant to contrast with Kinue (who coincidentally once played the same sport).

**Character Analysis: Emi Nakasuga**

Canonically, Miho has the rockiest relationship with Emi out of all her friends, as they start out with some degree of tension due to Emi's dislike of Maho, and Emi's blunt personality. Emi's mouth tends to get her in trouble at times, while sometimes preventing her message from being properly understood, but she ultimately means well, and in the last chapter, hopes Miho can find her own way of tankery.

With time comes maturity, and Emi gradually learns how to express herself without hurting others' feelings. A Side Story will show the root of all this, one time when Emi made a mistake that she would never be able to undo.

Interestingly enough, Emi is, at the same time, trying to find her own way in tankery, so she finds it in Germany along with Satoha. In spite of her disliking the Nishizumi style, she realizes that she hasn't been trying to find her own way of tankery, and so chooses to rectify this by finding a style of tankery she can use to defeat the Nishizumi disciples and those like them, rather than simply detesting them. In this way, for all the ways Emi contrasts with Miho, her story has a few parallels as well.

**Satoha Tsujigaito**

Relatively little is known of Satoha in canon, save for the samurai-like image she sometimes projects, although she does seem to take note of promising rivals even if they seem unimpressive, respecting the younger Kei, and considering Yuuki a potential threat. This includes her teammates, as while they are friends, they're also hoping to take each other on in the international level.

Satoha draws influences from Japanese and German culture, finding that she doesn't cleanly fall into either. She's considerably more outspoken than most Japanese, prefers talking with her friends less formally, would rather shake hands than bow. On the other hand, she prefers the Japanese language, Japanese cuisine, and various other aspects of Japanese culture, occasionally fancying herself something of a modern-day female samurai.

She respects Miho for what she has accomplished, and has some respect for Maho, as well, but doesn't think much of the Nishizumi school's desire for an unbroken winning streak. She hopes to prove a school that can challenge the established champions, enjoying how in Germany, the champions were by no means undefeatable; while almost a decade passed with Black Forest's winning streak, it has been almost that long since any German team has won the championship twice in a row.

Edited to fix a few minor mistakes and take into account that Alexandra is German, according to the Saki character tables.

On a side note, it's interesting to see how Emi's school is different in Little Army 2, for several reasons.

*Bellwall, while having been strong in the past, is a shadow of its former self.

*Bellwall has no coach and very little discipline, although the fact that Emi's stricter than Miho does keep the various delinquents in line.

*Hitomi goes to school with Emi.

*Emi left her previous school on not nearly as good terms. I'm not as fond of this development, since I had thought that Emi would have matured somewhat after butting heads with Chihiro and Miho at times.

*Emi's school apparently didn't survive her departure.


	16. Desires and Obligations

**Chapter 11: Desires and Obligations  
**

The first round of the tournament took the longest amount of time to finish, as all of the competing schools had to participate. Several had already had their turn by the time Oarai had their match, and several had yet to go.

For the schools that had won, there was plenty of time to prepare for their next match, such as by practicing, watching their potential rivals or studying about where they could improve. For the schools had lost, there was far more time to prepare for the next year, to try again in hopes of succeeding where they had failed, and for the students who wanted to do tankery in the future to practice and hone their skills, wherever their paths would lead in the future.

One thing was certain; Oarai would need to improve itself to keep up with its opponents, and ensure that the team remained strong, both in the present and in years to come.

* * *

Miho started up Skype, and had a call with her sister, Hiroe and Hiroko in the evening a few days after Miho's first match. The main topic of discussion were the matches between Oarai and Joghurt, and between Rhineland and Momotaro.

"That sounds like it was a good match, Miho" Maho said, after hearing an in-depth account of the match. "Again, congratulations."

"Thank you, Onee-chan," Miho said.

"My friends and I from Pravda also got to see it, Miho-chan," Kinue said. "I'd hoped to see your match, Maho-san, but it was on the same day."

"You didn't miss much, Kinue," Maho said. "The battle went somewhat easily for me. But out of curiosity, have you, your sister or your cousin heard of the Kumano family?"

"Yeah," Hiroe said. "We keep tabs on a lot of the 'competition,' not just the Nishizumis, even if their current heiress didn't put up a good showing."

"To some degree, she seemed jealous of me," Maho said. "Specifically, that I was in charge of my school, while she took longer to get command of hers, and felt as though she couldn't quite live up to her mother."

"Wow, projecting much?" Hiroe said, her tone containing a mix of amused disdain and annoyance before turning more serious and slightly sympathetic. "But in all seriousness, I do understand where she's coming from. I have had to work harder than most to prove myself, and I honestly considered choosing a school besides Pravda and Black Forest so I wouldn't be compared to Mom. But I decided to work hard at overcoming it, rather than snipe at people in a similar situation."

"That's right, Hiroe," Hiroko said. "And for better or worse, when you have something to say to someone, you come out and say it, rather than making passive-aggressive remarks like that."

"Still, she did apologize," Maho said. "And she did put up as much of a fight as she could. In that regard, the younger Kumano-san is doing her best in the same way."

"Yeah, I get it," Hiroe said. "Still, I do hope that she can forfeit her claim to inherit the school, or, for lack of a better word, 'get fired' without being disowned. Mom made it clear that if I couldn't meet her standards, I'd simply stop teaching for her."

"I hope so, too," Miho said. "I was never able to carry on the Nishizumi family legacy the way Mother hoped I would, but I still hope that she considers me a daughter in spite of that, and that Instructor Kumano feels the same way toward her daughter."

The conversation continued for a few more minutes, as the participants discussed their lives at school.

"I have to go fairly soon," Maho said. "I'm going to have to get up early tomorrow, since I'm going to visit Oarai."

"Nice," Hiroe said. "Hiroko and I have been pretty busy lately, since it won't be long before our second match. What about you, Kinue?"

"My match with BC Freedom is relatively soon," Kinue said, "the first one after the other schools finish their first matches. As much as I would personally like to see Oarai someday, perhaps that will have to wait for another time."

The conversation wound down and the participants said goodbye to each other, hoping to talk again soon. They had their own lives and their own responsibilities, but still enjoyed the chance to step away from them and talk with each other openly, honestly and about any variety of things.

* * *

Maho arrived at Oarai in the morning, and met with Miho, who was waiting with the rest of Anglerfish Team near her school.

"Good to see you here, Miho," Maho said.

"Hi, Onee-chan," Miho said. "I'd like to introduce my friends."

Miho went around and made introductions. Maho had heard all their names before, and had met them on multiple occasions, but this was a good time to start over, to show them the sister

"So what plans do you have?" Hana said.

"We were planning to meet for lunch with the Miyanaga sisters, as well as Sumire and her cousin," Maho said.

"Sounds great!" Saori said. "The four of us all have... prior commitments for today, so we'll leave you to it."

The rest of Anglerfish Team said goodbye and went their separate ways from Maho and Miho. As soon as they were out of earshot of Miho and Maho, though, Mako turned back to Saori.

"You're pretty good at coming up with excuses on the fly Saori," Mako said, "but this seems unusually forced; we don't actually _have_ any plans for today. What's up?"

"I think Miporin could use a little space today," Saori said. "She doesn't get to see her sister that often, and when she saw her, it was usually while her sister was acting as commander, so they couldn't really talk. They deserve some time by themselves, as sisters, without feeling as though she needs to include us. We have plenty of time to see each other later."

"That makes sense," Yukari said. Having eavesdropped on a conversation between Miho and her sister after the semifinals in the previous tournament, Yukari had some idea of the personality Maho had behind the facade, and how much Miho meant to her. She was glad to meet Maho and truly get to know her, but also believed that she deserved time with Miho alone.

* * *

Miho and Maho walked together through the streets of Oarai Academy's school ship, on their way to meet up with the others. As they passed various places Miho knew well, Miho pointed them out and sometimes provided a story about an experience she had at them.

"So, what do you think of Oarai so far, Onee-chan?" Miho said.

"It's good to finally see your school, Miho," Maho said. "It definitely seems smaller and more lively than Black Forest, so I can see why you would like it more."

"The team's certainly easier to get to know, given that it's smaller and less competitive," Miho said. "I know everyone's names, and at least a few things about each person, not just my friends. There's all sorts of people on the team- novices and veterans, athletes and intellectuals, the tech savvy and those who don't use it as much, and so on and so forth. I believe that by starting from square one and not having any expectations, we ended up being inviting for more people."

"That's true," Maho said. "Of course, those who would want to join a winning team would likely not find it attractive."

"I suppose not," Miho said. "But Nodoka-san and her friends had their own reasons for getting involved in Oarai's tankery team, so not everyone seeks out a winning team."

Maho nodded.

"True," Maho said. "I once spoke with an Oarai alumna at my university- no one you would know, since she graduated the year before you came. She said that she was not one to look for the best, but what was good, and what was the right fit for her. She said that even if Oarai was not the top-ranked school, she believed she learned a great deal there."

Miho smiled. Her sister had long believed Oarai was simply a place she had chosen to run away from tankery, but over time, it had become her home, as a place better suited to her than Black Forest was.

"So you do know quite a bit about Oarai already, Onee-chan," Miho said. "So how has the rest of our family been?"

"Mother has been striving had to reassert the Nishizumi school's dominance," Maho said. "She has been tirelessly looking over the curriculum, seeing where we can improve, even if her goal and her standards for our students still remain as focused on perfection as they have always been. She no longer sees you as the cause of all our problems, but she still hopes you will lose to Erika, in the end."

Miho let off a sigh. She had known that Shiho's beliefs, instilled in her at a young age and reinforced through a lifetime of receiving and giving rigorous training, as well as her school's continued success in tankery, would not be overturned so easily. In spite of that, she had hoped that she would be swayed more by recent events than she had, which is why she considered her sister's news disheartening.

"I thought so," Miho said, before her mind turned to one of the main pillars of support for her mother; Shiho's husband and Miho and Maho's father, Nishizumi Homura. "And what about Father?"

"For him, work's proceeding largely the same as usual," Maho said. "Even though he can't directly be involved in the Nishizumi school, he does what he can to support us through his work at his parts dealership."

Miho nodded. The Nishizumi family was not unlike the Nishizumi school in some regards. All members were required to do their part and make sacrifices for the sake of the collective's mission. But what could the members expect in return? The only benefits seemed to be top-notch tankery training- which also served as enhancing one's ability to fight in the Nishizumi school's name- and the prestige of calling oneself a Nishizumi alumna.

Neither of these benefits seemed to be very appealing to a young Miho, who saw little reason to do tankery until she made her first friends in it. But as Miho got older and made more friends, she soon realized how few families were anything like hers. Her friends had their own desires and goals; they saw tankery as a fun diversion, and did not approach it with the same fanaticism as the Nishizumis and their disciples. Miho enjoyed doing tankery with her friends more than her family's students, and realized she had more in common with her friends than her own family. She had to wonder; would they be forced to give up those goals if they worked under someone more in line with the Nishizumi style?

Sensing Miho's discomfort, and knowing about the long-standing issues at the root of it, Maho spoke.

"It may only be my opinion, Miho," Maho said, "but no organization is completely homogeneous, and while all organizations have certain expectations of their members, I don't believe they should force their members to stop thinking about themselves. Family is no exception, since for the most part, membership is not a choice."

"I agree, Onee-chan," Miho said. "I think it's because I've met so many people with different ways of tankery and reasons for doing it that I didn't unquestioningly accept our family's style of tankery. I do everything I can to win, but one thing I cannot do is to ask my subordinates to unquestioningly give up their own desires and what they hold dear in the name of victory."

"Ah, yes, I remember those girls you did tankery with all those years ago," Maho said. "I was glad to see that you'd made friends, and to hear that you've recently resumed contact with them. It seems like you've been quite successful at that regard once again at Oarai."

As Miho nodded pleasantly, Maho left unspoken how she had relatively few friends, and those few she had tended to be outside her family's school. Said individuals did not judge her in comparison to her mother- which was fortunate, since they disagreed with or outright despised Shiho- but considered her own merits, just like Miho did.

Maho was many things apart from a Nishizumi heiress or a commander, and her reasons for coming to visit Oarai were not related to either role. She simply wished to spend some time with her sister, see her sister's school and meet with some friends in the process.

_"I, too, have simple desires of my own, wholly separate from those of my mother and our school," _Maho thought. _"I do wonder sometimes how things would have gone if I had come to school here."_

* * *

Miho and Maho arrived in the cafe, where Teru, Satomi and Sumire were waiting in the lobby.

"You're right on time," Sumire said. "Satomi and I were just discussing each other's matches."

"Satomi?" Miho said.

"My cousin," Sumire said. "Or, 'Saro,' as she somehow came to be known around Oarai."

Miho chuckled softly at Sumire's blunt description of Saro's nickname, as they proceeded to a table and sat down. Saki arrived a few minutes later, and seemed slightly out of breath as she found their table, and Teru waved her over.

"Hello, everyone; I'm sorry I'm late," Saki said. "I had a bit of trouble finding this place."

The others simply nodded. Sense of direction had never been Saki's strong suit.

"It's been a while, Hirose-senpai," Saki said to the one member of the group she knew well but had not seen in the recent past.

"Just Sumire, please," Sumire said. "We go back some ways, and I've been meaning to make that request to you for a while now."

"The same goes with me," Saro said. "Since you know my cousin, 'Satomi-senpai', or 'Satomi-san' is fine."

"Alright... Sumire-senpai, Satomi-senpai?" Saki said.

The two Hiroses nodded in approval.

"So now that everyone's here, how have things been at Oarai?" Teru said.

"Fairly good, Onee-chan," Saki said. "You saw our victory over Joghurt, and practice has been going well."

"That's good," Sumire said, before glancing at her cousin. "But what about the rookies of the team?"

"Tankery's going somewhat better these days," Saro said. "I still feel as though I'm catching up to the others, but at least I'm making some progress."

"Everyone feels that way at first, Satomi," Sumire said. "When I first started in middle school, I felt as though I had to not only measure up against the rest of my yearmates and peers, but also meet my parents' standards."

"Which you ultimately did, Sumire," Teru said. "I don't approve of the pressure your parents put on you, but do believe that you had what it took."

"Saki-san told me a little about her old middle school," Miho said. "It was fairly small, but you still had tankers to spare, correct?"

"That's true, Miho-senpai," Saki said. "And now that I think about it, Oarai is different from Hanekoma in that regard. In many other schools, you try to be among the best, lest they find someone to replace you. Here, you try hard _because_ there's no one to replace you."

"Perhaps that may not always remain true, Saki," Teru said. "Hanekoma's team was relatively young, having been started a few years before I got here. The year I arrived, essentially all the newcomers were guaranteed spots on the team, but the year you did, only the most promising first-years, like you and Mizuho, had a chance."

"And what about those who didn't have a chance?" Miho said. "What happened to them?"

"They simply did what they could to be of use to the team and prove themselves," Sumire said. "And after... people started leaving, they comprised the majority of the the last holdouts, before they, too, gave up."

Miho solemnly nodded, and the others at the table shared her sentiments. The tragedy that had ended Mizuho's life was no longer a taboo subject, but it was a somewhat depressing conversation subject.

Teru, noticing that the conversation had turned awkward, decided to speak.

"Of course, Miho, while no one can perfectly predict the future, your school's team will not necessarily suffer the same fate as the one Saki, Mizuho, Sumire and I were on in middle school," Teru said. "Where there's a will, there's a way, and it's up to you to ensure that your team keeps going after you graduate, and gains members without losing its identity."

Miho nodded appreciatively, and allowed the conversation to shit to subjects besides tankery. She believed every school she had attended, every tankery match she had fought, and everyone she had met had lessons of their own to teach her, and was always glad to learn from someone else's experience. She hoped to pass those lessons on to the team, and help it grow as a product of everyone's knowledge and experiences.

* * *

At the end of a practice battle, Nodoka peered out of the top hatch of the Tas, and saw the disabled Panzer IV. Anglerfish Team had been circling around Octopus Team for one final attack in the hopes of winning when Saki had managed to get a solid hit on their tank, disabling them and taking out the last survivor of the opposing team.

Nodoka realized that the deck had been stacked somewhat in her favor. Both sides had a combination of crews that they had never had before, but Nodoka's side, at least in her mind, seemed to include the better half of the team. But winning against Miho was a pleasant change of pace for Nodoka, regardless of the circumstances. They were also planning to put Azusa, a possible candidate for the next vice-captain, in charge of one side for a few practice matches, to get her used to commanding the team.

While highly competitive, Nodoka had never seen Miho as a rival. Part of the reason was because they were on the same team, which meant that if either of them improved, the team as a whole benefited. All the same, Nodoka hoped to catch up to Miho and command as well as she did, for the sake of their teammates. The fact that Oarai in general and Nodoka in particular were no longer as desperate to win the tournament as they had been last year was not cause for Nodoka to relax her efforts or become complacent. She still hoped to win, as it seemed like the natural goal for which all contestants in the tournament aimed, even if she did not pursue it with the same zeal as the Nishizumi school.

Nodoka realized that most of her friends, both the ones she had made at Oarai and the ones she had in the past, were hardly people who would be typical Nishizumi disciples. The timid and shy Yuu, as well as her more outgoing but still modest and affable younger sister did not exude the arrogance that many believed the Nishizumi style practitioners often showed. The highly energetic Shizuno and Yuuki were a far cry from the humorless stereotype of the Nishizumis. Kirame, who was glad to simply be of use to her teammates, Hisa, who wanted to re-establish Oarai's tankery team and Saki, who wanted to reconcile with her sister and enjoy tankery, had ambitions very different from the Nishizumi belief in victory above all else. Even Miho, the younger daughter of the head of the school, was no exception. Granted, not all Nishizumi disciples fit the mold, but Nodoka's friends deviated from Nishizumi standards enough that they were happier and more successful doing tankery their own ways.

Nodoka's friends at Oarai had helped her win the tournament, and the old friends she knew at Saunders had put up a worthy fight against her. She thus sought to lead her friends at her school to victory against those who would be thought stronger than them, and put up a good fight for her old friends when and if she faced them again.

* * *

Leopon Team had an individual practice session that ran late, putting their Porsche Tiger through a variety of tests of its performance. Doing so outside of the practice matches was a way by which they could carry out those tests without the pressure of battle, and practice their jobs until they could perform them reliably under fire. They could also more easily collect data on how the tank performed, and they did their jobs in it.

Luckily for the team, the data that Tsuchiya collected showed that they were improving as a team. They could keep the tank in the game longer, enabling its heavy armor to fend off more enemy shells that might otherwise be aimed at their more lightly armored teammates. They could fire more quickly and more accurately, enabling the to use their powerful gun to devastating effect. Lastly, they could move their tank more effectively over all sorts of terrain, preventing it from becoming a hindrance to the team while the others were advancing or retreating.

Tsuchiya glanced at her watch and then out at the setting sun, realizing that it was time to go. The four girls from the auto club would have to change out of their tankery uniforms, walk home and then do their homework, chores and other day-to-day activities. All extracurricular activities were impositions on students' time, and tankery was particularly intensive in this regard, especially when combined with the auto club. In spite of that, somehow, going the extra mile for it was not as unpleasant for Leopon Team as it once was.

"I think that's enough for one day," Tsuchiya said. "We're doing better lately, but we still have a lot of room for improvement. Is everyone up for another practice session at the same time tomorrow?"

The other three enthusiastically nodded.

"I must admit, I'm surprised," Tsuchiya said. "I haven't heard a word of complaint out of you three about this."

"If we're going to be competing in tankery matches from here on out, it'd be best if we didn't also end up making asses of ourselves while doing so," Gotou said.

"Yeah," Rokubungi said. "We're supposed to help the tankery team, after all, so we owe it to them to do well."

Nanami nodded in agreement.

Tsuchiya smiled, somewhat satisfied with how things were progressing. Perhaps her teammates were still viewing participation as a matter of duty and fulfilling their obligations, but they were becoming more willing to do that duty.

After parking their tank in the tank garage, they met with Aiko, who had stayed behind to supervise the training session..

"So you're done for the day, ladies?" Aiko said.

"Yes, ma'am," Tsuchiya said. "I'm sorry to keep you here late."

"Don't be," Aiko said. "I won't be around for long, so all of you should make use of my services while you can."

Aiko's hours for her teaching days extended some time after the end of the tankery practice, with the time being used for a variety of purposes. Sometimes, it was used for practices that went longer than expected, while other times it was used for holding private meetings with certain members, or doing various work. While she had spent some of this time with Leopon Team, she would have time for some of her other tasks, including concluding her time as Oarai's second temporary tankery instructor.

* * *

Aiko's temporary assignment soon ended, and she, like her predecessor, reported before the student council, Miho and Nodoka, sharing her findings and making recommendations for the future. She would no longer be teaching Oarai, but she did not see this as the end of her obligations to them, and hoped that her advice would be useful to them in the long term.

"My final recommendation is a full-time faculty member who can coach tankery," Aiko said. "Such a person would be vital in getting the newcomers up to speed, and being an established voice of experience in the absence of people like Nishizumi-san and Haramura-san. Being able to recruit top talent for those coaches is one reason why the established schools have the advantage they do. So I ask; is it feasible or Oarai at this point?"

The student council looked at each other and shook their heads sadly.

"Unfortunately, Instructor, at this point, we cannot feasibly hire a full-time instructor," Shizuru said. "We are currently looking into our options, but we will not likely have anyone in place for this year."

"I understand," Aiko said. "This is somewhat standard advice I give to the schools I serve as an instructor. It is the optimal course, although I do recognize that if more schools could have full-time tankery instructors, there would be no need for my services."

"Oarai is the team it is largely because of its circumstances," Miho said. "Because our tanks are inferior, we have to outmaneuver the enemy. Because so few of us have much tankery training, we forgo conventional strategy. Having better tanks and more experience will prove helpful, but even if we obtain them, we should never forget where we began, or where we came from."

Aiko nodded.

"I've helped instruct at many different schools," Aiko said. "One middle school, in its first year of tankery, had only a handful of tankettes and light tanks, and not enough students for even those tanks; the tankettes were purchased at a very low price as part of a trial run, although the program fizzled out. They also did not even have tankery uniforms, not even the jackets you girls use."

"Ah, these?" Miho said, pointing at her own jacket. "The fabric club made them last year."

"That's a solution," Aiko said. "Most of the schools have contracts with various companies that also supply school uniforms; I recall that Pravda gets its school and tankery uniforms from the same manufacturer. It seems like a good sign of support from your school's clubs."

"Well, the fabric club isn't doing it for free," Ayano said. "They're officially reimbursed for the materials required to make the uniforms. It's significantly cheaper than buying them from an outside supplier, but they are not paying out of their own pockets, nor should they."

"That makes sense," Aiko said. "And just to confirm what I heard once, is it true that Oarai's tanks were found around the school ship?"

"Yes, ma'am," Miho said, "for the most part, by the people who now crew them. Most of us started out looking for our tanks before practice even began. There was a great deal of ground to cover, so the student council mobilized all of us to have more eyes searching."

"I see," Aiko said. "That's a good story, and I believe that it nicely sums up what you need for the future. You will need external support for the club to remain in operation, but you will also need a strong team that works well- individually and together- for the tankery team to continue thriving. I've done what I could to help you, but in the end, that's something that you and future generations will have to do for yourselves."

Miho nodded, remembering the advice Hisa had heard from her professor. Oarai's success came from many different sources- skill, hard work, ingenuity and luck- but none of what they had accomplished had come from waiting around for someone to simply hand them what they needed. Additional funding and support would be necessary to keep winning and grow as a team, but for now, they would do what they could to succeed with what they hadprove that they would be a good investment.

* * *

Shortly after leaving Oarai and returning to her apartment, Aiko placed a call to Ami, who was off duty at the moment.

Ami, sitting in her room in casual clothing, picked up the phone.

"Chouno Ami speaking," Ami said, her standard way of answering the phone while off duty.

"Hello, Ami, it's been a while," Aiko said. "How have you been lately?"

"My assignment at Joghurt ended a few days ago, Aiko," Ami said, taking on a more informal tone as she realized Aiko was not calling on the job. "Your assignment at Oarai should be ending just about now, right?"

"It just did," Aiko said. "The students learned well, although I was probably 'the strict one' compared to you."

Ami chuckled slightly.

"You know, Aiko, from our teaching styles, it's sometimes hard to tell that I was the one who graduated from the Nishizumi school," Ami said.

"It actually makes sense if you think about it," Aiko said. "Because I've had to struggle and try hard in the past, I tend to push people a bit more, to make sure they're doing their best, and because I nearly flunked out, I recognize the value of giving under-performers wake-up calls. At the same time, because things didn't come easily to me, I have compassion for the slower learners, and because I was given a second chance, I don't write people off as failures."

"That seems about right," Ami said. "Oarai is essentially doing things the hard way, albeit not by choice, so the team will have to accomplish a great deal if they hope to prevail. Despite, or perhaps because, of that, its tankers are not going to get everything the first time, and one should be patient with them. I learned that lesson from you, and it was driven home by teaching at many schools that were different from my alma mater."

"You're welcome, Ami," Aiko said. "But speaking of our alma maters, do you ever feel a conflict between your desire to watch your student succeed and your loyalty to the Nishizumi school? While I hope for Oarai's success, that hope is tempered by the fact that one of their opponents is not only my alma mater, but is commanded by my instructor's younger daughter."

Ami paused to think about her response for a moment. Her friends came from a variety of backgrounds, and the only ones she had from the Nishizumi school were Ami and Takako. As a result of knowing them, she had also come to realize the validity of other approaches, although she still remained indebted to the Nishizumi school for teaching her the skills that enabled her to become successful.

"I know all too well what you mean, and my answer is yes," Ami said. "Miho-san's successes are not in the Nishizumi school's name, or by the Nishizumi school's ways, which is one reason why Instructor Nishizumi disapproved so strongly. Although... she has recently started to wonder if Miho-san is not the only onat fault for the Nishizumi school's recent troubles."

Aiko sighed.

"Only a Nishizumi would call placing second in the national tournament two years in a row a failure," Aiko said. "That said, I do understand where they're coming from, and believe that a bit of self-reflection is always a good thing."

"Even as a Nishizumi disciple, I'm not entirely sure about what I want for Black Forest," Ami said. "On the one hand, I want my school to remain well-respected, and a large part of the reason why I try so hard is so that they will do so. On the other hand, perhaps a defeat may be more important to them than a victory if they learn the proper lessons from it and rededicate themselves to improving."

"I understand what you're getting at," Aiko said. "To play devil's advocate, that could apply to Oarai as well."

"Perhaps," Ami said. "Of course, as always, it's mainly a matter of what they learn from their lessons- the ones you taught them, the ones I taught them, and their many other experiences. Their opponents have certainly learned since last time, and are eager to show them."

"Indeed," Aiko said. "Let's see how things play out from here on out."

Oarai's two teachers had imparted different lessons on the fledgling tankery team, and both, in spite of their loyalty to some of their rivals, were interested in seeing how Oarai would rise to the occasion against them. The coming tournament would shape Oarai's future in the months and years to come, and they hoped Oarai would continue onward in tankery.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

This is a transitional chapter that mainly focuses on Oarai, as well as touching on the Nishizumi school's role in this installment of the story.

One could imagine the conflict between Miho's way of tankery and the Nishizumi school (or at least, Shiho's version of it) is a conflict between two interpretations of what the team means to an individual, and what the former can expect of the latter. Shiho's way could be considered the "dark" side, in which subordinates sacrifice for their leader, who fights for her own goals and, to some extent, sees them as means to an end (albeit an end that many of her subordinates willingly and wholeheartedly support). Meanwhile, Miho's way could be considered the "light side," as she does her best for the sake of those under her command, and while she does acknowledge that she depends on their efforts, she also doesn't want them to give up on their personal goals for the team's sake; rather, she hopes that they can achieve them by fighting alongside her.

Interestingly enough, Miho, while by no means a selfish individual, feels relatively little sense of duty to her family, or desire to actively win her mother's approval. For the former, she makes it clear in her internal monologue near the end of Little Army that tankery is not about her family or emulating her sister, but the shared experiences she and her friends have. As for the latter, she's known since Chapter 7 of Little Army what it takes to get her mother's approval.

Oarai will have a great deal of work ahead in the long term, years in the future, far beyond what this fic will cover. As always, with its present secure, it can look toward the future and think beyond what might possibly be its last year in operation.

**Character Analysis: Shiho Nishizumi**

Shiho's goals- upholding the honor of her family name and keeping her family's school as the best- have been established already and remain largely the same. Miho is disappointed but not surprised at her mother's remaining static and unchanging, albeit grateful that she is in the family and Shiho is not likely to disown her on a whim. Shiho has realized that Miho cannot so easily be scapegoated for what ails the Nishizumi school, nor will disassociating herself from Miho be a panacea. These past few years have challenged Shiho, and she may no longer be able to blame her school's defeats on others.

Of course, Shiho has seen Miho's success, and is starting to wonder if, despite the fact that she does not advance the Nishizumi's cause, she is not a detriment to them, either. Shiho will thus hope that Miho loses against Erika, but wonders if, perhaps, Miho winning every battle until then may not be such a bad thing after all.


	17. Rising and Falling

**Chapter 12: Rising and Falling  
**

As Oarai practiced and trained between its first match and its second, its opponents did so as well. The weaker opponents hoped to improve their performance, however slightly. The stronger opponents hoped to become stronger still, and perhaps even take the championship. Those who had taken the championship before redoubled their efforts to regain their titles. Oarai was no longer an unknown, and would not be underestimated this time, so its road to the championship would be more difficult than ever.

* * *

Erika surveyed the tundra battlefield as her school's first match against Waffle ended in a decisive victory. Nearly all of the enemy's tanks had been disabled, while almost none of Black Forest's had taken any significant amount of damage..

A year ago, Erika would have simply dismissed Waffle as yet another unworthy contender. She would have concluded that their being matched against Black Forest was an unlikely but plausible outcome for them, and no amount of luck would have enabled them to triumph. This belief was influenced by Erika's belief in Black Forest's superiority, as well as both schools' track records.

But now, her perspective was beginning to shift, however slightly. Black Forest had lost to an underdog, but it was clear that while Waffle had the potential to accomplish a similar feat, they stood little chance of realizing that potential as they were. They had 20 tanks and enough members to crew them all, but tended to favor head-on assaults against their enemies. Against Black Forest, they were easily defeated by their opponent's superior tanks and better-trained crews. Oarai would not have gotten far with that tactic, perhaps even losing against Anzio.

Erika briefly recalled what Satoha had said at the tankery cafe, and shook her head reflexively. It was clear that while many schools saw Black Forest's recent defeat as an opportunity to advance their own standing and reach higher, few were willing or able to make the most of that opportunity.

Erika believed that her school had every right to regain their status as champions, so long as they were able to defeat any and all challengers for the title, along with those who had taken it from them before. The task ahead of her would require no small amount of effort, but since she hoped it would be her final gift to Black Forest, she was prepared to go that far, and hoped her subordinates would do the same.

* * *

Koume and Kuroko walked home after another long practice session. In addition to being drilled in how to work as a team and stay in formation, teams were also drilled on their individual skill. Neither was a substitute for practical experience, nor did either of them necessarily prepare them for unexpected situations, but Black Forest put emphasis on training its members.

But while Black Forest had kept its standards high and its resolve to win remained the same, something had changed. Koume and Kuroko's current conversation was for the purpose of trying to determine the nature of this change and its cause. The two had risen to become co-vice captains in their final year of high school, but because they had never studied at the Nishizumi school, and were only now starting to help command the team, they felt like outsiders as far as some of the team's issues went.

"I must say, I find this odd, Koume-san," Kuroko said. "The coach is still fairly strict, but she isn't as exacting as she was after our defeat last year. She's asking as much of us as she had before, but she's not threatening anyone with expulsion from the team. I'm not sure what to make of it."

"Well, she hasn't gone soft," Koume said. "It's more that she's expecting us to persist, to endure and learn from our mistakes. That must be why she didn't eject me from the team, even when my tank falling into the river set off the chain of events that cost us the championship two years ago."

"That may be so," Kuroko said. "But as far as I know, Black Forest has never been the type to accept defeats like this, even among those who have never gone to the Nishizumi school. They're still as devoted to winning as ever, and think of it as restarting the streak."

"Perhaps, Kuroko-san," Koume said. "But I think even Commander Itsumi and Coach Kubo realize that adopting this mindset and learning from their mistakes is necessary if they hope to win at all."

"Indeed," Kuroko said. "But I think the reasons they want us to win are different than the reasons we want to win."

Koume nodded.

"Miho-san may never have believed in her family's style of tankery, but she always tried her hardest to help us win," Koume said. "I hope to do what I can as well, both as a way of atoning for my mistake two years ago, which forced Miho-san to make the decision that she did, and for its own sake."

"I know what you mean," Kuroko said. "Miho-san told me that she did not blame me for not speaking out in her defense, but that does not change my belief that I should have done so. In fulfilling my obligations to the team, I want to be of use to this team, serving well enough that I can graduate without any regrets."

Koume silently agreed. The last year of high school was often an impetus for students in clubs to be ambitious while they still could. One of Koume's former crewmates had a cousin who went to Continuance, and was fully prepared to face Black Forest the previous year, in a last attempt to dethrone the champion. In spite of losing, neither that girl nor the rest of her team had any regrets about the outcome, and were glad to have made the most of their remaining time at the school and on the team.

Koume realized that the Nishizumi school and Black Forest were less favorable toward defeat, and would not be content with merely trying hard, even if she, as someone who never studied under the Nishizumi school, did not share those values. She saw trying hard as her duty toward the team, for the sake of her friends and making up for her mistake in her first year.

_"We all have our reasons to try hard, Commander," _Koume thought. _"Rest assured I will not go down easily against Pravda, Oarai or any of our other opponents."_

* * *

In Black Forest's tankery garage, the three remaining members of Teru's crew- Oohoshi Awai, the driver; Matano Seiko, the loader; and Shibuya Takami, the radio operator; had lunch together. They had a new commander and gunner, but their relationship with them was strictly professional, unlike Awai and Takami, who had been friends for many years, and Seiko, who had more recently befriended the two, so the three girls ate together and left the other two to their own devices.

"So how are both of you feeling about this new atmosphere at Black Forest?" Takami said.

"I don't see any differences from usual," Awai said. "As always, you have to meet their standards to stay on the team. It's as simple as that, and no problem for me."

Seiko merely shrugged. She was never as confident in her own skills as Awai was, believing that she was only barely keeping up, but this was beside the point. Awai's statement of what was expected of them, while still largely true, was no longer the entire truth.

"I'm honestly no longer sure whether it's still the same team we know, Awai," Seiko said. "I had been expecting some sort of crackdown after the last defeat, so I was surprised when it never came."

"Perhaps it no longer serves the coach's purposes," Takami said. "It's generally more effective to remove a team member who is a potential liability before problems start, rather than after the games. Furthermore, since we did not lose as the result of one person or team's actions, a great many people, including otherwise promising members, might be held accountable, and it would not seem very practical to punish them all."

"You might be right, Takami," Seiko said. "I have been listening to the rumors, and people are wondering whether Black Forest has lost its touch. Others, however, aren't willing to accept that, and among many of them, the finger of blame falls on the coach. If anything, she's making one last desperate bid to get us back on top and keep her job."

A somber silence descended on the three. They were among what might be considered the enlisted women of Black Forest, and were not privy to the private discussions and inner politicking of the higher-ranked members. They could only do their best to fulfill Black Forest's high standards, knowing, not unlike what they always knew, that their efforts had ramifications for many people other than themselves.

* * *

In her apartment on the Black Forest school ship, Kubo Takako, coach of the tankery team, went about her morning routine. Her apartment was sparsely decorated, but one could see a great many personal touches- pictures of herself and her friends, posters about tankery and more- that indicated that tankery was not just a job for her, but a great personal passion.

Takako opened her closet and picked out her outfit for the day, a dark and conservative business suit. Black Forest had a strict dress code for faculty, to the point at which some believed the adults essentially wore a uniform just like the students did.

On her way in, several students called out to her to greet her in the morning, and Takako responded with a subdued hello for the sake of politeness. Takako made every effort to remain professional, and this included avoiding giving the impression that she was fraternizing with the students.

Takako unlocked and went into her office, which was filled with books, references and material she needed to do her job as coach, things that would just as likely be found in her predecessors' offices. The sole identifying trait in it was a professional office plaque with her name on it.

Of course, while Black Forest was strict with its employees, it also treated them well. The school paid generously, was considered highly prestigious in terms of academics, and those who knew what they were getting into and could meet the school's expectations were generally completely satisfied with their job, not unlike how their students were proud to be part of the school.

In some regards, while Takako had gone from a student to a teacher, her feelings about the school had not changed. She sought to do her best out of loyalty to her alma mater and her employer, which meant ensuring that Black Forest regained the championship.

Takako recognized that she shared that sentiment with the most unlikely of individuals; Akado Harue, coach of Saunders. When they met during the convention, Harue had disagreed with many of Takako's other opinions, and struck up a friendship with the like-minded Masae. Of course, one lesson Masae had learned was how much she had in common with the people she disagreed with, and how many people with similar teachings and experiences had very different personalities and worldviews.

Still, one thing was clear to her. She could no longer imagine Black Forest as the only "serious" contender in the tournament. She had to take all her school's foes seriously, even the ones Black Forest had easily defeated, if Black Forest hoped to regain its status as champion.

* * *

Chihatan's match against Viking Marine School was next. The match was relatively long, and devolved into a stalemate, but a breach in Viking Marine School's lines enabled Chihatan to regain the advantage in the last fifth of the match. Viking Marine School's position became untenable, and before long, Chihatan was able to get a disabling shot on their flag tank.

"Chihatan wins the match!" the announcer said.

After Chihatan's victory, Komaki turned to the rest of the team, a significant portion of which consisted of her distant relatives. While Komaki's extended family did not have the same expectations as the Nishizumi school, nor did it have their record of success, Komaki still felt indebted to her teammates, and so strive as hard as possible.

"Good work everyone," Komaki said. "I am quite pleased that we were able to triumph against Viking Marine School this time, given that our school has usually fared poorly against them."

The others nodded in agreement. Most schools had accepted that it was normal to regularly lose against Black Forest, but losing repeatedly against a school with a lower quality team, like Viking Marine School, could be demoralizing. For Chihatan, their victory was a significant triumph in many ways, although they realized they had many battles ahead of them.

"Yes, it was quite nice winning this round," Kariujuku Tomoe said."Unfortunately, it seems we have Black Forest next,"

"That may be so, but they are no longer an insurmountable obstacle," Komaki said. "Pravda has defeated them, and Oarai has as well, so we may yet be able to do the same. Our chances are slim, but they are not nonexistent, so we should seize this opportunity and make the most of it."

"They still seem so intimidating, though," Iwato Akise, Kasumi's younger sister, and Komaki's first cousin, said. "I've trained for years, and I still don't feel ready."

"They're only human, in the end," Takimi Haru said. "Aunt Yoshiko is friends with a fellow officer who's one of their alumni. Instructor Chouno is cheerful, personable and enjoys teaching others from all walks of life, not just the elite who meet the Nishizumi school's standards."

Komaki smiled as she remembered Ami, who had never felt intimidated around her. Regardless of whether it was in awe of her position, a desire to curry her parents' favor, or fear of what would happen if they stepped out of line, it was often difficult for Komaki to have normal interactions with others from her family. Because Kasumi was one of those who treated Komaki more like a friend than a princess, the two girls were quite close.

In spite of her position, Komaki thought of herself as, in many ways, yet another Chihatan tanker striving to play her own role well, in order to achieve the goal that the team shared. It was pleasant to be able to overcome the odds, and Komaki hoped she would do better than last time against Black Forest, in hopes of winning.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Saunders, Arata and her teammates ate with Harue at a local restaurant that, while not a fast food place, was still casual enough that it was popular among the Saunders students. The subject turned to how some of the alumni, whose first year under Harue had also been their last, were doing.

"How's Yuu been doing at her new university?" Harue said.

"Fairly well, for the most part," Kuro said. "She's doing well in her classes and in tankery, although she's had to adjust a bit to the latter. The instructor's fairly strict, more so than any of her past coaches."

"That's hardly surprising," Harue said. "I've always known that Saunders does things quite differently than many other schools, and had a conversation some time ago with some professionals who have different views. Even Masae-san, who has her own differences with the Nishizumi school, is a bit stricter than most. She once suggested that it might have been best to start off as slightly tough with you all, loosening up as I deemed it appropriate, although she conceded that I shouldn't crack down if what I'm doing is working.."

"But for the most part, you didn't do that, did you, Haru-chan?" Arata said. As she spoke, she adjusted her uniform's red necktie, a deviation from the dress code that would have gotten her sent home at other schools, but which was tolerated by Saunders' faculty and disciplinary committee.

Recognizing the qualifier and its implications, Harue nodded. For the most part, Arata and others like her addressing Harue with this degree of familiarity did not raise many eyebrows at Saunders, which had relatively relaxed standards on such matters. But Saunders was often serious, and there were times when Harue had to dress and act the part of Saunders' coach, wearing a suit rather than business casual, and referring to students by their last names and "-san," rather than their first names.

"No, I didn't," Harue said. "I may have been new, but I was essentially taking over for Tezuka-sensei, and inherited the system she had set up, as well as the precedent she had established. Masae-san, as founder of her school, understood my situation. Her daughter, Hiroe, has similar plans in mind; working with her mother's framework in a way that fits her abilities and the circumstances."

"So where does that leave Nodoka and Nishizumi-san?" Ako said. "Oarai had a tankery team in the past, but that's practically ancient history. It'd be one thing if there were people at the school who remember the team and expect it to be run that way, but there aren't any such people. Everyone was new to the team last year, and most except for Nodoka, her friends and Nishizumi-san, hadn't even done tankery at all before coming to Oarai."

"They're at the same point Saunders was a few years before I arrived there _as a student,"_ Harue said. "They're an up-and-coming team with a promising start, doing what they can to avoid becoming a one-hit wonder of sorts. The school closest to their situation is Rinkai... which happens to be our next opponent."

The table's mood turned unusually somber. They had hoped that Rinkai would prove to be unworthy of the hype, as while Bosporu was one of the weakest schools that competed in the tournament, Continuance was a decent contender. In the end, Rinkai had easily defeated both of its opponents, and if Saunders was not careful, they would be the next to fall.

"This might be difficult," Kuro said. "It's another up-and-coming team with a mixed variety of tanks and leaders who are experienced in tankery."

"But at the same time, we have a lot going for us," Shizuno said. "Not only do we have a lot of strong tanks and tankers, but we're determined to put the effort in where it counts."

Harue smiled. Saunders was no longer a newcomer to tankery, but it had yet to earn a championship. In spite of that, Shizuno was correct, and as long as she and her friends kept improving while keeping their spirit, they would likely succeed one day.

* * *

Elsewhere, back at Rinkai, Satoha and Emi returned after practice, and met with their coach, Alexandra Windheim, a woman with platinum-blonde hair and an dark business suit.

"We're coming in," Satoha and Emi said as they stepped into the office.

"Hello Satoha, Emi," Alexandra said. "Did you have a chance to look at the recording I sent you, of BC Freedom vs. Blue Division?"

"We did, Coach," Satoha said. "They're both doing better than last year, but they're not at our level yet. I can see why BC Freedom lost to Oarai in their practice match."

Alexandra nodded. While Rinkai had many strong exchange students from other countries who had tankery experience, most of the native Japanese students on the team had never done tankery before. Under the tutelage of the more experienced members, they had learned surprisingly quickly, enough to have an edge on most people with comparable levels of experience among their rivals, even if they were a far cry from many of the transfer students and their crews.

"It seems as though the tournament is largely going as I expected it would," Alexandra said. "So far, there haven't been any unexpected eliminations... save one."

"St. Gloriana?" Emi said.

"Precisely," Alexandra said. "Koala Forest isn't incompetent, per se, but I didn't expect them to be able to win."

"It's surprises like those that make the tournament fun to watch, Coach," Satoha said. "Underdog victories may be special because they're rare, but it's always fun to watch a match when you're not certain who is going to win."

"Yeah, I agree with Satoha," Emi said. "Oarai may be the school I'm most rooting for besides ours, but I'd like Miho to have to work for her victories."

* * *

Hisa and Mihoko left the stands, still processing what they had seen. Koala Forest had, through a series of carefully calculated strikes, whittled down the St. Gloriana forces while staying mobile, before finishing off the flag tank. In the end, the result had seemed inevitable, even if it was one that Hisa and Mihoko had barely considered possible at the outset.

"I can hardly believe it..." Mihoko said. "We had trained hard since last year, so we should have been able to defeat Koala Forest."

Mihoko felt responsible for the outcome to some degree. She believed that she had trained her subordinates well, and felt confident that Shoumei, her successor, was prepared for her role. Sensing Mihoko's anguish, Hisa laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I know what you mean," Hisa said. "I never had any particularly lofty expectations for Oarai last year, even considering what was at stake, but losing so quickly- last year or this year- would have been devastating."

"I'm actually not thinking about myself," Mihoko said. "There are many on the team who, having inherited the hopes of their senpais and predecessors, feel as though they have failed in their responsibilities and disappointed those who came before them."

Outside the arena, Hisa and Mihoko encountered Ikeda Kana, a close friend and former subordinate of Mihoko's from St. Gloriana. Kana had been one of Mihoko's closest friends at St. Gloriana, as well as one of her most ardent supporters for her bid for commander. She was the one Mihoko most had in mind when she spoke of the successors who struggled with their feelings of shame and inadequacy, and the most in need of Mihoko's support.

"Captain... Takei-san..." Kana said.

"Welcome back, Kana," Mihoko said. "You did what you could."

"It's been a while, Ikeda-san," Hisa said. "Like Mihoko said, it was tough, but you did your best."

Kana, tears welling up in her eyes, could only give a faint nod in acknowledgment of Hisa.

Mihoko's right eye opened in shock, and she and Hisa briefly exchanged glances.

"I can give you two a moment alone, if you'd like," Hisa said.

"Please do," Mihoko said, and Hisa silently excused herself.

Moments after Hisa left, Kana broke down and flung herself into Hisa's arms as she burst into tears.

"There, there, Kana," Mihoko said. "You did your best, so there's no reason to feel sad about your loss."

"That's not all there is to it, Captain," Kana said. "You appointed the commander because she was competent and shared your values. But now that she's failed in the first round for the first time in over a decade, will there be another commander like Ceylon...sama?"

Kana's voice quavered as she spoke the name of Mihoko's predecessor as commander of St. Gloriana. Ceylon's strictness had brought St. Gloriana to the semifinals, but her arrogance and overconfidence led her into a trap and caused their defeat. In the end, in spite of her success, morale had been low, and Ceylon, detested by the majority of the team, only retained her position as commander until she graduated because she had not broken any rules.

Mihoko, however, shook her head.

"Perhaps such a person may come in the future," Mihoko said. "Ambition and pride may blind some other girl to all else. But people and organizations can change positively, as well. Ceylon-sama came to regret what she had done, and turned over a new leaf. She's doing tankery under Atago-san's command at Romanov University, if you can believe that."

Kana chuckled. The truth was that while Hiroe was not allowed to turn Ceylon away simply because of the bad blood between them in the past, she was not obligated to offer her a spot on the team, either. As such, Hiroe gave Ceylon a spot among the benchwarmers, under the immediate supervision of a first-year who was previously the commander of Bosporu, an arrangement that Ceylon found less humiliating than most would expect. Ceylon realized she would have a long way to go before she earned the forgiveness of those she had once commanded, although Kana, for all her loyalty to Mihoko, was more open minded on that regard than Ceylon had expected.

"I can," Kana said, her eyes drying, and a smile returning to her face. "People can change, Captain, just like you did when you stepped up to take command of the team."

Mihoko smiled and nodded, more pleased by Kana being comforted than by herself being used as the example. Times were changing, and she was open to the possibility of St. Gloriana's team changing as well. But she always hoped that St. Gloriana would remain a popular and respectable team, and that its members would not only be proud to be part of it, but be happy as well.

* * *

As the Koala Forest ship left the harbor in the early evening, Touka and her crewmates prepared to celebrate their victory. St. Gloriana and Koala Forest had long had a rivalry, even if it was almost one-sided given that some St. Gloriana members looked down on Koala Forest, but said rivalry was not in play. Shoumei, emulating Mihoko's example, showed respect for her opponents, and the Koala Forest leadership was rejoicing over having defeated a strong opponent. After the match had ended, Touka had given a speech to the entire team, praising their efforts and gloating about her victory.

Once the group returned to the ship and changed back into their school uniforms- which consisted of a navy blue blazer, a plaid blue skirt, a light blue dress shirt and a dark blue necktie, Touka turned to her crew

"St Gloriana has been vanquished," Touka said, "and with this first victory, we have made a formidable showing of our strength in the tournament, proving our superiority over that school. Exemplary work, everyone."

"Not a problem," Inoue Jun, a tall girl whose appearance and mannerisms were fairly masculine, who served as Touka's loader, said.

Sawamura Tomoki, Touka's gunner, a somewhat tall and bespectacled girl with very long brown hair nodded.

"True," Tomoki said. "But it seems Koromo has walked off yet again."

Touka let off an exasperated sigh and clenched her fists as she heard that her cousin had disappeared yet again. In spite of being exuberant and hot-tempered, she was not seriously upset in this case. This was a regular occurrence with her cousin, and she was confident she could find Koromo before long.

Koromo stood out somewhat easily, being a diminutive blonde girl who would be mistaken for an elementary schooler but for the fact that her uniform had Koala Forest's crest on the breast pocket. Contrary to her appearance, Koromo was actually four days older than Touka, and detested being treated as a child. Wearing her uniform helped serve as proof of her age, but Koromo found that producing her Koala Forest student ID had a similar effect, and was not especially fond of her uniform.

The fact that Koromo stood out in such a way helped with the search, as did Koromo's tendency to often go to the same places, and not try to escape whenever Touka, her family's servants or the friends she did not yet recognize as such came to find her.

Koromo was sitting on a bench at their school ship's starboard deck, looking out at sea. This was a place Koromo often came when she was feeling troubled, and few besides Touka would suspect that Koromo would feel depressed after defeating a strong opponent without any major difficulties.

"There you are, Koromo," Touka said. "Is something on your mind?"

"St. Gloriana's performance left much to be desired," Koromo said. "They were a far cry from how they were in Mother's time. If the school has deteriorated this much, then I cannot truly say that I have reached Mother's level yet."

Touka immediately knew that her cousin's thoughts were wandering to a dark place, almost as if they were in search of her late parents. When this happened, Koromo's demeanor grew gloomy, and when she spoke, she used a more formal tone and more complex words.

Kunihiro Hajime, a petite girl with dark hair who was Touka's driver, barely understood the root of the problem, but she knew of one thing that seemed to be a good way to get Koromo's mind off of such thoughts, and one appropriate way to celebrate their victory.

"Hey Koromo, why don't we go out to the family restaurant for dinner to celebrate?" Hajime said.

"Yeah," Jun said.

Tomoki silently nodded.

"Yes!" Koromo said. "Koromo wants to go to the family restaurant!"

Jun's jaw dropped at Koromo's sudden 180 degree shift in personality, and Hajime blinked in surprise, but the more stoic Tomoki's expression remained largely unchanged. Touka, however, was fully aware of her cousin's mercurial demeanor, and how she could shift from a cheerful child to a gloomy girl who still mourned her parents almost a decade after their deaths, and back again, at a moment's notice. To her, the result was desirable for the short term, but did nothing to address the long-term problem.

Touka's thoughts returned to her present situation. While defeating St. Gloriana was quite an accomplishment, she was far from the only one to have managed it. Last year, Oarai had managed that task with fewer tanks than the allowed limit, some of which were relatively weak. And now, Touka would face Oarai in the same match in which Oarai had lost to them, but Oarai now had more tanks and crew than it did before. Touka relished the challenge, and eagerly awaited the prospect of succeeding where so many others had failed.

_"Just you wait, Nishizumi Miho!"_ Touka thought. _"You will fall against me, Ryuumonbuchi Touka, desu wa!"_

* * *

**Author's Notes**

This chapter focuses on some of Oarai's rivals, showing how they are reacting to Black Forest's defeat and Oarai's rise as a champion. Oarai will have to deal with them or the ones who defeat them sooner or later, and in Koala Forest's case, it's "sooner."

Originally, there was going to be a series of omakes showing where those who graduated last year ended up, but I cut it, since I couldn't think of omakes for all of them, and felt it worked better to provide exposition on some of those who still had roles.

Enjoy the early update. Since I had the chapter ready, I wanted to get this last transition chapter up, and move on to the Koala Forest arc.

**Character Analysis: Koume Akeboshi**

Koume, the girl Miho saved from the river, is perhaps the farthest from the typical Black Forest stereotype among all those still at Black Forest. She's mild-mannered, kind, and grateful to Miho for saving her. She even thinks of herself as the one who caused Miho problems, rather than thinking of Miho as the one who caused her team's defeat.

Since no other members of her crew are seen, I inferred that she was the only one remaining at Black Forest, a guess supported by the manga. Miho says in the manga that Koume was ostracized by certain members of the crew, although I suspect that they're not representative of all of Black Forest.

So what has Koume been up to since the accident? She is still part of the team, and, in spite of her gratitude toward Miho, also feels a great deal of loyalty to the team. As such, she feels the need to atone for her mistake, and redoubles her efforts. To some degree, Kuroko also has a desire to make up for a past mistake, and a close connection with Miho, so she and Koume have become friends.

Erika, in my interpretation, has a certain amount of respect for Koume's persistence and desire to prove herself useful to her team, however much she disagrees with Koume's admiration of Miho for saving her. She thus trusts her enough to not only keep her around, but name her vice-captain, in the hopes that Koume's loyalty to her school and determination will prove useful in helping Black Forest win once again.

**Character Analysis: Kuroko "Jagdpanther-chan" Morita**

Not much is known about Kuroko in canon, apart from how she detests being detracked. In Motto Love Love Sakusen Desu, however, it's suggested that she's significantly more relaxed than Erika, and even calls Miho by her first name.

Miho and Kuroko knew each other in their first year at Black Forest. But while Kuroko remembers their time together fondly, it's also complicated by guilt over her not speaking out in Miho's defense during the controversy over Miho's decision (albeit not the only one; Miho's defenders were a less vocal group), and the realization that she will have to put he feelings aside and fight against Miho at her new school, for the sake of her old one.

Still, Kuroko has made a decision, much like Miho has, and has chosen to stay with Black Forest, as Koume has. It took her a great deal of determination to get a spot on Black Forest's regular team, so she will use that determination to help her school win.


	18. Interlude 15: Touka

**Interlude 15: Touka  
**

Touka gathered with her teammates in a room for entertaining guests inside her father's house on the Koala Forest school ship. He, the headmaster of the school, had a relatively larger house than might be expected for most on a school ship, if not as large as her family's home on land.

The four students wore their school uniforms. They typically preferred to wear casual clothing, but Touka had called them for a meeting immediately after school, so none of them had time to go to their apartments in the student residence district and change.

Hagiyoshi, a butler for the Ryuumonbuchi family who seemingly appeared in a flash whenever his master or young mistress requested his presence, set a pot of tea on a small table between two couches. On one, Jun and Tomoki sat, while on the other, Hajime and Touka sat across from them.

"So, why have you invited us over, Touka?" Tomoki said, once Hagiyoshi had departed.

"I would like to disclose to you more about the purpose for which I have recruited all of you," Touka said. "You have all proven yourselves in many ways, as tankers, as trustworthy individuals and as fellow misfits, so I believe you have earned my trust, and the right to hear this."

"Misfits?" Jun said. "I never thought that I'd be lumped in the same category as the girl who's Koala Forest's headmaster's daughter and its founder's granddaughter."

"You really don't know Touka all that well, do you, Jun-kun?" Hajime said, and Jun reluctantly nodded.

"Well, yeah, because I'm the most recent addition to the five of us," Jun said.

After dropping out of her previous club due to a personality conflict with the club head, Jun had been ordered by the administration of the school to enroll in a new club, lest she be involuntarily entered into the cleanup detail until she chose one. She chose tankery on a whim, but while she once saw it as the "least worst" way to satisfy the requirement, she was starting to see it as the best choice.

"To be honest, though, I don't really know all that much about Touka's family, particularly Koromo," Hajime said. The two were on a first-name basis, as Koromo's constantly referring to herself by her first name caused Hajime to inadvertently call her that, and Koromo was willing enough to accept.

"Then it is time that you were enlightened," Touka said, "for this is all done for her sake."

"Ok," Hajime said. "Starting off, how exactly is she related to you? I think you said she was your cousin, but I'm not sure how closely you're related."

"Koromo is my maternal cousin," Touka said, getting out a pad of paper and drawing on it to show her family tree. A square with "Ryuumonbuchi Tatsuya" and "Ryuumonbuchi Taiga," had a line between them that had a line to Touka's circle in the middle. Touka's mother's circle was connected to another circle, "Amae Akihko" and another square, "Amae Mitsuru."

Touka finished drawing, then picked up a pen.

"Uncle was a prominent literary scholar," Touka said. "Koromo regarded him as the quintessential gentleman, and aspired to emulate him in all ways."

* * *

_10 years ago_

A young Koromo found her father working in his office late at night. From what she could observe, it was clear she was typing on a computer, although his purpose was unclear.

"Father?" Koromo said, old enough to understand that grown-ups had to leave the home to work for a living, but not old enough to understand the adults who worked at home. "What are you doing?"

"Ah, Koromo," Akihiko said. "I am currently writing an article for a scholarly journal, about changing literary habits."

"Pardon?" Koromo said.

"In short, how and why the way people talk and write Japanese changes," Akihiko said. "And I've found that language has changed a great deal over the years."

"The way you and Mother talk, Father?" Koromo said.

"Yes," Akihiko said. "Back in older times, people often used a significantly more elegant means of speaking, which would be thought of as quaint at best nowadays. But there are some, like your mother and I, who have an appreciation for the literature and language of old, and the beauty associated with it."

Koromo stared blankly at her father, unable to understand, much less give a very informed reply. Her father chuckled softly, all too used to this reaction, and knowing that he should have expected it from a small child.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I suppose I should have said it in a way that's easier for you to understand," Akihiko said. "But in any case, we hope to share an appreciation for this kind of language, works that will be remembered many years from now while the bestsellers of today are forgotten."

"I see," Koromo said.

Akihiko looked at his computer's clock, and realized that it was later than he had thought.

"Speaking of which, it's bedtime, Koromo," Akihiko said. "You and your father both have a long day tomorrow, but we will be going to the family restaurant for dinner."

Koromo's eyes lit up. Her father had a certain appreciation for fine dining, but he knew that fancy restaurants were not the best for his young daughter, and believed a meal with his family was best of all.

"Splendid!" Koromo said, having found an appropriately eloquent and strong word to express her joy.

Perhaps Koromo could not yet see the day when she would fully understand what her father was saying, but for now, she understood that there were many things she looked forward to.

* * *

_Present day_

"Koromo has a most peculiar quirk," Touka said. "Whenever she feels emotions of the utmost intensity, she expresses them with the most formal and literary speech she can muster. " Touka glanced around at her friends. "I do not suppose any of you think of speaking the same way, do you not?"

"Nah," Jun said in her usual rough and informal manner of speech, which some said made her sound like a teenage boy.

"Can't say I do," Hajime said. While typically well-mannered and friendly, her language was less formal than Touka's.

"No," Tomoki said laconically, reminiscent of the messages she typed in games, in which brevity and clarity trumped everything else.

An awkward pause ensued for a moment, as the group pondered the hidden meaning in what Touka was saying. Hajime was the first to speak what was on her mind.

"That sounds quite nice, but you're describing this all in the past tense, Touka," Hajime said. "Koromo's reluctant to talk about your father, but she's _never_ mentioned her parents."

Touka sighed. She had spoken of this multiple times over the past eight years, and had been prepared to discuss it since before she summoned the three to her house, but still found the subject difficult to talk about.

"Koromo's parents passed away eight years ago, when she and I were eight years old," Touka said. "Apparently, the cause was an illness, brought on by the yellow dust. My mother took Koromo in when her parents fell ill, desperately- and futilely- hoping it would prove temporary, for everyone's sake."

* * *

_Eight years ago_

At lunch, Touka tracked Koromo to the roof of the private elementary school that both attended. Touka had noticed that Koromo had been avoiding her all day after being called to the office in the morning, and was determined to find the cause.

"There you are, Koromo," Touka said. "Is something troubling you?"

"The main office summoned me for a message from the hospital," Koromo said. "The illness has claimed my parents."

Touka, while choleric in nature, was not so easily surprised by this revelation. For several days, her aunt and uncle's condition had been worsening, and with each passing day, the ordeal also took a toll on her mother. But while she had anticipated this outcome, she had never wished to see it come to pass. The only thing mitigating her grief over her aunt and uncle was the knowledge that Koromo had just lost her _parents_, and her

"Koromo, you have my condolences," Touka said. "But do you also remember the promise my mother made yours?"

"Yes," Koromo said. "Aunt Taiga promised Mother that if anything happened to her, she would look after Koromo."

Touka nodded to confirm that what Koromo said was true. Touka was as well aware of the arrangement as her cousin.

"You will be well cared for at my home, Koromo," Touka said. "We are family, after all."

Koromo nodded, but felt that the void within her heart was not filling at all. She was grateful for Touka's kindness, but was she to accept her aunt and uncle as substitutes for her parents? Was she to accept herself as much their daughter as Touka was? She had difficulty simply accepting this, and a part of her, based on the few interactions she had with her uncle, suggested that this was not simply due to grief over her parents' loss, and the knowledge that they would never see her to grow up to become like them, someone they could be proud of.

Still, for the moment, she managed a "Thank you, Touka," which was what she felt she owed Touka for this offer, one that was well-intentioned if nothing else. The one piece of advice that she had been given that she felt able to understand was that she would not be able to accept the loss immediately, so she could only hope that answers would come in time.

* * *

_Present day_

"By the end of the day, we set Koromo up in a guest room, and Koromo's parents' funeral was held a few days later," Touka said. 'The entire process transpired quickly back then, but for Koromo, fully accepting her parents' deaths is a process that remains incomplete, even eight years hence."

The rest of the group looked at each other in awkward silence.

"Going back to your question, Hajime," Touka began, "the reason why Koromo abstains from mentioning her deceased parents is simply because she does not desire our pity. Perhaps that was why she was avoiding us."

"I see," Hajime said. "But for the sake of argument, how many people would know that her parents had died?

"My uncle was famous enough that the local news media reported on his death," Touka said. "Since he mentioned Koromo before, they naturally knew of her existence, but only that he had a daughter. Enough people came forward to offer their sympathies as a last gesture of goodwill to the man they knew in various ways, rather than for her sake, that Koromo naturally assumes the worst of anyone who pays attention to her while acknowledging her parents' deaths."

"Including her own family?" Tomoki said, her stoic tone breaking slightly.

Touka's expression turned solemn and oddly resigned, befitting Touka's feelings about one of the few problems she desperately wanted to solve, but did not think herself able to do so.

"Yes and no," Touka said. "Touka sees us as worlds apart from the dross that sees her as a means to an end. At the same time, however, she does not have the same trust in us most have in their closest companions, and she fears that we are only taking her on out of obligation or pity. In Father's case, I must confess Koromo's assumption is not entirely erroneous."

* * *

_Eight years ago_

In the Ryuumonbuchi mansion in the Nagano prefecture of mainland Japan, Tatsuya and Taiga met with Koromo to discuss her accommodations, now that she would be staying permanently . Tatsuya described the family's schedules on a variety of matters, such as when the family got up, when they ate and when they went to bed. Tatsuya also went into house rules, particularly emphasizing that he was not to be disturbed when he was working.

None of the information was especially new to Touka or Koromo, both of whom had heard most of it before, so they gave it less than their entire attention. With all the relevant information delivered, Hagiyoshi checked his watch.

"Hagiyoshi, show Koromo to her room," Tatsuya said.

"Yes, master," Hagiyoshi said. "This way, please, Koromo-ojou-sama."

Koromo followed him, as did Touka. Touka glanced backward and noticed a discomfited expression on her mother's face, as Taiga turned toward her husband.

"Is something the matter, Mother?" Touka said.

"Oh, it's nothing," Taiga said. "You should run along now, Touka; I'm sure Koromo would love your company."

Touka nodded, and caught up to Hagiyoshi and Koromo as they reached the stairs, in time for Koromo to ask a question that was on her mind.

"Ojou-sama?" Koromo said. "Why are you calling Koromo that?"

"I am not just in the master's service, but that of the Ryuumonbuchi family," Hagiyoshi said. "You are part of his family, and I am obligated to give you the same respect I owe to everyone else."

Koromo nodded, but mainly heard the words, "service," "obligated," and "owe." As a child, she was all too familiar with the idea of having to do what she did not want to do, and suspected that Hagiyoshi's respect was required of him, rather than what he truly wanted to do.

Touka and Koromo followed Hagiyoshi to the third floor of the mansion, and were led to a part Touka had, in all her time there, never entered much before. Even when the cousins played hide and seek, they had never gone into this part.

And now, Koromo would be staying in this part of the mansion, out of sight of most others, in a place where no guests entered and few of the residents went.

"This is your room, Koromo-ojou-sama," Hagiyoshi said. "Your belongings have been unpacked."

Touka, in spite of her increasing feeling that Koromo was being isolated, could not help but

"Thank you, Hagiyoshi," Koromo said hesitantly.

"My pleasure," Hagiyoshi said pleasantly. "Dinner will be in two hours, but please feel free to call on me."

Hagiyoshi bowed and took his leave.

"Touka, I have a question," Koromo said, a far cry from the typically cheerful demeanor she showed.

"What is it, Koromo?" Touka said.

"Why are my aunt and uncle going so far for me, taking me in like this?" Koromo said.

"You are not some mere stranger, Koromo," Touka said. "Your mother and mine were sisters, making you family."

Koromo outwardly smiled, but in the end, the impression had already been implanted in her. Bonds of blood were the only thing linking her and Touka together, and not even a direct tie at that. If not for their mothers being related, Koromo believed she and Touka would have no connection at all.

* * *

_Present day_

"Unfortunately, a few years later, my mother passed away as well," Touka said. "The loss of my mother was somewhat hard on Koromo, albeit not as much as losing her parents."

Touka's fiercely determined visage cracked for a moment as she recalled losing her mother, and she blinked back tears. She inwardly sighed in relief that her friends did not notice- or at least, did not acknowledge- this emotional display, as the conversation continued.

"So, what happened then?" Hajime said. "Did your father no longer wish to take Koromo in?"

"As if he could do such a thing," Touka said with a scoff. "Even if he were possessed with the ability to renege on his promise, he was bound to honor my late mother's wishes, and obligated to care for Koromo now that he had assumed this responsibility. Still, I believe on some level, Koromo feels like a guest who's overstayed her welcome, even if she does not say it outright," Touka said. "I wish I could convince her otherwise, but I cannot when I feel the same way."

Touka paused to think things over. She disliked the idea of doing things out of duty, out of obligation, or to repay one's debts rather than one's own will. Koromo was her family, but Touka was determined to help her because Koromo was dear to her, not because it was expected of her. She looked around at her friends, and noticed that while they had similar beliefs, they did not seem to feel the same way about her father.

"Does it really matter?" Jun said. "Whether or not he likes it or has a good reason for doing it, he's looking after your cousin and providing her with a place to live, which is more than can be said for some people. Your family has its share of problems, but it's still a family."

Touka let off a long sigh. She realized Jun had her reasons for saying what she did, reasons that she was hesitant to talk about. But regardless of why Jun was saying what she did, her point was one that Touka could not contest, even if saying that was not an easy admission for Touka to make.

"You are correct; Koromo does not want for anything," Touka said. "But at the same time, she realizes that she is not truly a member of this family; she is tolerated, yes, but not quite loved and appreciated by my father. She has a roof over her head and three good meals a day, but it's not home."

Touka left unspoken how Koromo's surname being different made it harder for people to tell that she was related to the Ryuumonbuchi family, a fact that Touka believed her father found most convenient for him. Koromo's father and uncle had never associated much with each other while the latter was alive, and Touka believed that if her uncle had survived while her mother and aunt had died, her father would have cut all ties with him.

_"When I think about my family, I certainly do engage in a great deal of frivolous hypothesizing," _Touka thought. _"If I do so, perhaps I should think up a happier scenario for Koromo."_

Touka's thoughts were interrupted as she heard a light knock on the door was heard, followed by Hagiyoshi's voice.

"Excuse me, Touka-ojousama and honored guests," Hagiyoshi said. "Koromo-ojousama would like to join you if you are not busy at the moment."

Touka picked up the pad of paper and quickly wrote "Koromo's here; drop the subject," on it.

Jun, Hajime and Tomoki silently nodded. They did not know Koromo especially well, but knew that the family was the elephant in the room, so to speak. Seeing that her friends understood, Touka ripped out the piece of paper with the drawing and message before crumpling it up as she called out to Hagiyoshi.

"Send her in, Hagiyoshi," Touka said, in the somewhat blunt and commanding tone she used around her servants. Outside of her friends, Touka was often somewhat amiable to those below her, but her tone tended to remind them of their status.

Hagiyoshi opened the door and Koromo came in, in one of her better moods. Evidently, she was unaware of what her cousin and crewmates had been discussing, and her mind was away from darker subjects, so Touka decided to ensure it stayed that way for the moment.

"Touka! Everyone!" Koromo said. "What were you doing?"

"We were just reminiscing," Touka said, "about old times in the tankery team."

The other three girls quickly picked up on it, and moved to change the subject.

"Ah yes," Tomoki said. "I wasn't on the tankery team last year, so I'd like to hear more about your first year."

"Mother was a tanker while in high school," Koromo said. "She attended St. Gloriana, and was a member of the Black Tea Garden, known as Matcha. Perhaps by doing what she did, Koromo could perhaps become more like her."

Koromo's voice carried a hint of frustration and disappointment. She had once written a poem about a caterpillar that looked upward at butterflies flying in the sky, one based heavily on her own feelings. There were many reasons that Koromo missed her parents, and a major reason was that they would never see her grow up to become an adult just like them.

"Touka and I applied to the tankery team together," Koromo said, "only to be shunted aside and spurned as a pariah."

Touka was slightly taken off guard, not by what Koromo said, but by the bluntness of it. Depending on her mood, Kormo could be very forthcoming about the worse aspects of her life, and Touka was thus careful to not openly discuss them around her.

"I see... I'm sorry to hear that, Koromo," Hajime said. "I may not know all about... your circumstances, but I have some idea of what it's like to be ostracized."

"It wasn't as unpleasant as one might think," Koromo said. "The antipathy of others is, if nothing else, sincere, while sympathy is often applied for less than altruistic motivations."

Touka let off a sigh. She was the sort who, in spite of her desire to get the limelight to herself, was able to live with people disliking her for being herself. But Koromo giving up on being accepted, and questioning the kindness she received from others was something else- and unfortunately, something Touka could not.

* * *

_Last year_

In Koala Forest's commander's office, Touka arranged a meeting with Sheila, commander of the Koala Forest tankery team. Sheila had been appointed commander in her final year after a somewhat difficult struggle against her rival for the position.

Touka had heard all about the struggle, and found Sheila to be overly obsessed with what others thought. But she put that aside for the moment, because she had a job to do. While Touka had been approved to participate on the tankery team and was in the process of being given an assignment, Koromo's placement was still "pending." Touka, somewhat impatient by nature, but also realizing that the matter could potentially be deferred indefinitely if she allowed it, decided to see Sheila and force a resolution.

"Excuse me, Commander," Touka said. "I was hoping to talk with you about finding a spot on the team for my cousin, Amae Koromo."

"Very well, Ryuumonbuchi, have a seat," Sheila said, and Touka sat down. "I understand where you're coming from, but this may be a difficult order to fill."

"How, pray tell?" Touka said. "I was under the impression that Koala Forest's team did not have enough of a surplus of recruits to merely turn newcomers away."

Sheila sighed, knowing that dealing with Touka would be no easy task if this was the attitude she had. At the same time, Touka frowned; she had not expected Sheila to say yes, but found her nonverbal reaction to be a troubling sign as to where Sheila's priorities lay.

"That may be true," Sheila said, "but all the same, newcomers have to work well in their individual roles and with the team as a whole. Amae's technical skills are fairly promising, but she has a bit of a reputation as a loner and an oddball around the school. Good luck finding a crew that will work with her."

Touka bit her lip upon hearing Sheila's dismissive tone. It seemed evident to her that Sheila shared those beliefs, and had no serious desire to help Koromo become a part of the team. Luckily for Touka, she believed she had a solution.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I have already done so," Touka said. "I would specifically like to request her for my crew."

"That's a rather bold statement," Sheila said. "You may have qualified as a tank commander, but you don't get to choose your crew. Only the team commanders- in other words, I- have that ability."

"That is a recent development," Touka said. "Koala Forest has always had a somewhat loose hierarchy."

"Recent or not, that has changed, and what I am describing are now the rules," Sheila said. "You would do well to respect the chain of command, Ryuumonbuchi."

As Sheila's voice and words, spoken to an unruly subordinate she seemed to believe needed to know her place, Touka's temper flared and her voice rose.

"If I am a commander, then those under my command are my responsibility, are they not?" Touka said, with her Japanese formal but her tone impudent. "I should think that selecting a crew worthy of serving under me would be well within my abilities desu wa!"

"Very well, then," Sheila said. "If you're so confident, then I can have you two put with three other 'problem children.' They're fairly talented at driving, gunning and loading, respectively, but their attitude isn't the best, so you may have trouble working with them. You'll find them with Tank 13."

_"Three __**others**__?" _Touka thought. _"Problem __**children**__?"_

Touka began to walk off, uninterested in hearing anything else out of Sheila, and knowing that the things she wanted to say would likely have adverse consequences.

"I didn't say 'you're dismissed,' Ryuumonbuchi," Sheila said. "Unlike the headmaster, I won't tolerate your impudence or insubordination."

The words stopped Touka in her tracks.

"What would an imbecile like you know about my father?" Touka snarled under her breath as she turned around to face Sheila.

"Do you have something you would like to say to me?" Sheila said.

"No," Touka said.

"No, _ma'am_." Sheila said. "You are dismissed."

Touka gave a reluctant, half-hearted and not entirely correct salute before doing an about face, and leaving to find her new team.

* * *

Touka, along with Koromo, walked up to the other members of Crew 13, in its designated spot in the tank hangar. Touka had not told Koromo about her argument with the commander, and simply said that the two of them would b serving together in the same tank.

"My name is Ryuumonbuchi Touka," Touka said. "I trust you all have been informed about me?"

"Oh, so you're our new commander," one of them said casually.

"That I am," Touka said, "and this is my cousin, Amae Koromo, your new radio operator."

"You two got on the commander's bad side, didn't you?" the loader said, gesturing toward the gunner "Could it be that you argued that your friend couldn't have been expected to make the shot that she missed?"

"Say what you will about me," Touka said, "but Koromo has not committed any transgressions to win that girl's ire."

"She never had to," the driver said. "The other candidate for commander, Sophie, is a friend of mine. Sophie was for staying the course, upholding tradition and keeping the hierarchy relaxed, while Commander Sheila favored rigid control. As a result, I can't help but feel as though Sheila's marginalizing everyone who supported Sophie and her beliefs."

Touka looked around. She had to admit that she had long been used to getting what she wanted by virtue of who she was. Her servants had to do as she said, within reason and as long as her father had not issued any orders to the contrary. Koromo, her slightly older cousin, tended to listen to Touka in most cases.

But now, she had three tankers who seemed to lack respect for their superiors. So rather than appeal to authority, she had to give them a reason to fight and win.

"In any case," Touka said, "the Commander calls all of us 'problem children,' as if she were somehow infallible and superior to all of us. Let us prove that we can accomplish great things, to vindicate ourselves and earn redemption!"

Koromo and the other three girls cheered. Touka had caused them to rally around her by offering them the three things they wanted most- to prove themselves, to get revenge of a sort against Sheila, and to win. If they could work together and do their tasks well, all else would follow.

* * *

_Present day_

"A part of me was sorely tempted to convey my grievances to Father," Touka said. "But my refusal was mainly a matter of pride. I had no desire to call upon outside help in my conflict with that woman, least of all my father's. I had no desire to run from this battle, especially when I had people fighting alongside me."

Tomoki gave a somewhat disapproving frown. To most people, she was taciturn yet courteous, a far cry from Touka.

"As much as I like Touka, I do admit she has a bit of a problem with authority, to say the least," Hajime said, before turning to Touka. "There are some people that you simply have to obey, even if they get on your bad side."

"To be honest, the commander sounds like one of my old teachers from middle school," Jun said. "Essentially, if you got on her 'shit list' for whatever reason, she'd watch you like a hawk and look for any excuse to penalize you." Jun paused and chuckled softly. "That said, this girl doesn't really have to look that hard as far as Touka is concerned."

Tomoki nodded.

"That's a good point, Jun," Tomoki said. "From what I heard from one of my senpais in the literature club, who had recently left the tankery team, the previous commander's policy ran counter to Koala Forest tradition of loose hierarchy, and she was somewhat poor at taking criticism. She didn't punish her critics outright, but she did essentially give the the less than preferable positions until they left. On the one hand, she was owed a certain level of respect, as well as our obedience, by virtue of being our commander. On the other hand, people like my senpai and Touka were not necessarily wrong to take umbrage at her decisions."

"Well, we can be sure of one thing," Koromo said with a smile, "that we are better off with Touka in charge."

Touka nodded, pleased at seeing a genuine smile out of Koromo, even if those smiles were rarer than she would like.

"Unless I'm mistaken, we beat Viking Marine School, but lost to Pravda last year, right?" Jun said.

"And they lost to Black Forest, who, in turn, lost to the champions," Tomoki said.

"Yes," Touka said. "Perhaps eager to see us embarrass ourselves, like placing a soldier you detest in the vanguard, my predecessor deployed in the active roster for the tournament, only for me to defy her expectations. It was not sufficient to overcome Pravda, but I did far better than she did in that situation."

"So is that how you became commander?" Tomoki said.

"I applied for commander of the team, and was chosen," Touka said, "largely because most of those with leadership experience were leaving."

The other girls focused on Touka's use of "largely," and eagerly awaited her elaborating on the other reasons. When Touka did not provide an explanation, the room went silent for a moment.

"Something wrong?" Jun said. "It's a bit odd that someone as full of yourself as you would talk about that as it was odd."

Koromo took the opportunity to speak, as Touka remained silent.

"At Koala Forest, the outgoing commander plays a large role in choosing the new commander," Koromo said. "Her recommendation supposedly is often the decisive factor, as it was for the former commander. Touka despised the practice, since she thought it would mean that one of the former commander's cronies would be chosen. But Touka had never anticipated that the former commander's recommendation would go to _her_."

* * *

_Last year_

Touka sat in the commander's office, discussing her appointment and the responsibilities she had. Few of them were surprises to her, although many of the responsibilities of being commander were ones that Sheila had taken upon herself.

As the lecture concluded, Touka was unsure how to respond to Sheila's grudging "Congratulations." The more prideful part of Touka wanted to believe that she had done well enough that even Sheila had to admit how skilled she was, while a more pragmatic aspect of her realized that after the end of the year, the tea was no longer Sheila's responsibility.

"Do you have any further questions?" Sheila said.

"None," Touka said. "I may not be the leader you'd recommended, but I will be the commander Koala Forest needs."

"It would appear that you are wrong this time, Ryuumonbuchi," Sheila said. "I _was_ the one who recommended you."

Touka's mouth gaped open for a second. While Sheila was not the type to let any opportunity to prove her opponents wrong pass her by, she would not say something like this just for that purpose.

"Is this true?" Touka said. Sheila reluctantly nodded.

"There were a few factors that influenced my decision," Sheila said. "But in the end, as commander, I do what is best for the sake of the team, even if I don't like it myself. That's a lesson you should keep in mind for the future, and I'm not giving it for your sake, but the team's."

Touka was briefly left at a loss for words as the commander's lesson echoed in her head.

"You are dismissed, Commander Ryuumonbuchi," the former commander said. "Go, before I consider withdrawing my recommendation."

Something stirred within Touka. Perhaps Sheila had certain "incentives" to recommend Touka. But Sheila's last statement, and the desire for the good of the team seemed entirely sincere, and even Touka had to respect that.

Touka rose from the chair, stood attention and saluted.

"Yes, ma'am," Touka said.

* * *

_Present day_

"I had to wonder if my father pulled some strings at some point," Touka said. "Perhaps he would, and it would be a simple matter to ensure my predecessor's silence. It would certainly explain her parting remark about having to do things she didn't like."

"Her reluctance could be a simple matter of being proven wrong, and of knowing that as much as she disliked you, you were the best choice," Tomoki said. "After all, when have you ever reacted well to your points being refuted in an argument?"

Touka's jaw hung open and twitched as she stammered unintelligibly for a few moments, before she changed the subject.

"Since I believed I would never have an honest answer to that question, I decided to put that out of my mind, and devote myself to my tasks as commander," Touka said. "One of them was replacing the other three members of my crew of misfits. Team 13 may have become the commander's team, but I decided to make sure that it retained its spirit as well as its moniker. I searched for individuals who would fit the team, and the first one I found was my driver."

As she finished speaking, Touka gestured to Hajime.

"I had many reasons for wanting to get involved," Hajime said, "but a desire for fame certainly wasn't one of them. Being at the center of attention isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when it's not good attention."

"Do you perhaps have something specific in mind, Hajime?" Tomoki said. Most of her actions online had been done while anonymous, even if Touka had ultimately tracked her down. But she often noticed that people tended to draw attention to themselves there, often in the worst possible ways. She knew that some people preferred to avoid being at the center of attention.

"My dad used to be a professional race car driver," Hajime said. "But then he was accused of sabotaging another racer's car when it had an accident, and he was the one who won the race. It was never officially proven, but the court of public opinion has less of a burden of proof than the real one. As such, he lost his sponsorships, had to stop racing and we fell on hard times."

"Ok, but what does this have to do with you, Kunihiro-kun?" Jun said.

"You just said it, Jun-kun," Hajime said. "My surname isn't all that common, and my dad is old enough to have a daughter my age. Apparently, when you're convicted in the court of public opinion, your family members are indicted as your accomplices. The shame of being associated with my dad, combined with him being out of work for a long time, got to be too much for Mom, and she... left."

Tomoki's expression turned somber. She was reminded of a mystery game she played in which one case had the player character investigating the suicide of a young woman whose father had been framed for murder. The truth was that the woman had found evidence incriminating the real killer, who had killed her to silence her, but everyone had concluded that the young woman had succumbed to despair and shame, and no longer wished to live, and the page from her diary planted as a suicide note had nearly moved Tomoki to tears.

"It wasn't entirely bad, though," Hajime said. "I did meet some friends while I was in school, but only those who gave me a chance, and didn't immediately dismiss me for what they thought my father did."

"That's a basic requirement for true friendship, Hajime," Koromo said wistfully.

"Yeah," Hajime said. "And I do believe that most who get to know you and Touka the way I do will end up liking you, whatever their first impressions of you may be."

Koromo was briefly left at a loss for words. As she and the others paused, Hajime resumed her story.

"Then I went to middle school," Hajime continued, "and I got involved in tankery. I chose the driver position because my dad's driving fascinated me, even if a tank was very different from a car."

"But what was it that happened, exactly?" Jun said.

"There was an incident in my last year of middle school, two years ago," Hajime said. "In the first round of the tournament, our flag tank threw a track, leaving it exposed to enemy fire, and resulting in it getting disabled. I, the driver, took the brunt of the blame."

"There's any number of other explanations for what happened," Tomoki said, "so it seems somewhat hasty to blame you."

"Maybe, but I know which one my teammates settled on," Hajime said. "And after being told it was my fault for so long, I started internalizing that belief. So I was surprised that Touka would want me for tankery, in the same position in which I believed I had failed my old team."

* * *

_One year ago_

Hajime was walking home on the Koala Forest school ship, sweating in the summer heat. Koala Forest's summer uniform was distinct from the winter uniform in that it had a sleeveless slipover sweater rather than a blazer, and a short sleeved dress shirt.

"Ugh, this is hot..." she said, as she stopped under the shade of a storefront, unbuttoned the top button of her dress shirt and loosened her necktie. As she did, she heard the footsteps behind her come to a stop.

"Kunihiro Hajime-san," Touka said, getting Hajime's attention.

Hajime wondered if she was in the presence of a princess as she turned around. Touka was wearing the Koala Forest school uniform- her father was adamant that his daughter would follow the same rules as everyone else- but she carried herself with an uncommon grace and sense of superiority.

"Ryuumonbuchi Touka-sama?" Hajime said, immediately recognizing Touka. The two had never officially met, so Hajime wondered why Touka would possibly seek her out, especially given that Hajime knew who she was. Given her status as the daughter of the headmaster, Hajime wondered if a bit more respect was in order.

"Just 'Touka' will do," Touka said. "I may desire your services, but you are not a servant, and I will not have you talking to me like you are."

"Alright, Touka," Hajime said. "You can call me Hajime. But what, may I ask, do you want my services for?"

"What else could it be but tankery?" Touka said. "Specifically, driving a tank, like you did for Ayer's Rock Middle School in the past."

Hajime sighed. True to her reputation, Touka got straight to the point, and straight to the topic that was still difficult for Hajime to discuss.

"If you know that much, then you know why I'm _not_ doing it at the moment," Hajime said gloomily. "I don't want people to spread rumors about me being the girl who detracked my flag tank at my old school, much less making the same mistake at this one."

"Indeed," Touka said. "And it is nothing less than tragic that you would squander your prodigious talents merely because of the disparagement of the ignorant masses!"

Hajime found what Touka was saying and the attitude behind it surprising. Touka's behavior was often brazen, and she paid little regard to what others thought. But at the same time, she was less likely to be wounded by others' scorn, and less susceptible to bullying.

Perhaps Hajime could never be as confident as Touka. But she believed that this time, it might be a good thing to listen to Touka's belief in her than in everyone else's contempt of her.

"Well then, Touka," Hajime said, "if I'm really the driver you're looking for, then I'm in."

* * *

_Present day_

"In spite of her small frame, Hajime is quite dexterous with the controls of a tank," Touka said. "It would seem that my eye for talent is impeccable as always. But I do often have to remind her to not be so formal with me."

"Sorry, Touka," Hajime said. "The headmaster is fairly intimidating, though."

Touka sighed. Apart from those who wanted to befriend her to get her father's favor, and those who disliked her because of her father, there were some who might have befriended her, but felt as though they could not. She got along well with Sugino Ayumu, who was her vice captain, the daughter of one of her father's servants and a maid in training, but because of Ayumu's position, they could never completely be friends. Touka had accepted that this often happened, but had no desire for this to be the case with her relationship with Hajime.

"My father is far from a nightmarish abomination of legend, and even those do not have eyes and ears everywhere," Touka said. "Nor do I have any desire to emulate a certain insufferable harpy I once knew in middle school, who fancied herself superior to us all by dint of being the headmistress' niece."

"I know, but it's just a subconscious thing, since I try to be polite to most people," Hajime said. "While everyone knows who your father is, and have... varying opinions on him, those who know you well know you're more than an extension of him. You're the proud, strong-willed and eccentric commander of our tankery team."

Tomoki nodded.

"Perhaps Touka is the person she is today in large part because of her father," Tomoki said. "But we chose to follow and befriend her because she is who she is."

"Yeah," Jun said. "For me, it was either join the tankery team or clean toilets until I graduated, but I must say I definitely made the right choice."

"Jun-kun, you haven't told us much about yourself," Hajime said.

"Sorry, but I'm not comfortable talking about my family circumstances," Jun said, taking on an oddly polite and calm tone. "Let's just say that I'm grateful for how the teachers and other people ask for a 'Parent or guardian,' without specifying which one. I'm also grateful that few of my friends know and none of them ask about the fact that my surname wasn't originally Inoue, as well as their being fine with not coming over to my house."

"I see..." Hajime said.

"I do feel a little bad, though, especially considering how forthcoming you've all been so far," Jun said. "It's just that I... it's a little more difficult for me to do the same."

Hajime nodded, and the room went silent for a few seconds. Tomoki, despite thinking that she did not have much of a story to tell, decided to go next, if only to dispel the sense of awkwardness.

"I'll go next," Tomoki said. "In my first year, I had originally tried to get a gamer club started at Koala Forest, but I was unable to get enough members. I did, however, meet Touka while asking around. I didn't think much of it at the time, since she refused to join. So it was essentially back to my online tank game."

"Why not join the actual tank team?" Koromo said.

"I had heard less than pleasant rumors about some tankery teams," Tomoki said. "I take my gaming seriously, but it's just something I do for fun; nothing more and nothing less. I may be good at it, but I'm not sure if I'm anywhere close to professional level."

"Not many are, Tomoki" Hajime said.

"I suppose so, Hajime," Tomoki said. "So what about tankery? Is it more than a game, but less than a career for us?"

"Something like that," Hajime said. "Even if you can't do it for a living, it's fun to do it with friends, on a somewhat more serious level."

"Good point," Tomoki said. "There was a time when I tried to start a gaming club at this school, but I couldn't gather the necessary support. It was around this time that some people I knew online got involved."

* * *

_Last year_

Tomoki walked home, glancing at her petition sheet, and the handful of signatures she had on it, including hers in the slot for the petitioner. Each signature represented a person who wanted to see a gaming club established at Koala Forest, and was willing to participate in it. And each signature represented someone who would be disappointed that the club had not met the membership requirements.

Almost on cue, Tomoki spotted the student council president, the person who had given her the idea.

"Good afternoon, Sawamura-san," the president said. "How's collecting signature's going?"

Tomoki sighed, but her expression changed little enough that the president was not able to notice. She understood that the president was just making conversation, but always disliked being asked to tell about something when she had no good news to give.

"Not well, President" Tomoki said. "I have a few signatures, but few people are interested, at least as far as gaming goes."

"Sorry to hear that," the president said. "In spite of my position, I can't just bend the rules on a whim."

"So I'll be continuing to attend the book club from now on unless something more interesting comes up," Tomoki said.

"You never know," the president said. "Getting involved in student government wasn't originally my cup of tea, but I enjoy my job."

"So are you saying I'll learn to like what I have?" Tomoki said, trying to.

"That, or you'll soon find something that's better suited to you," the president said. "In the end, the answer is one that only you can find for yourself."

As Tomoki and the president said goodbye to each other, Tomoki pondered the advice she had been given. It was less clear than she had hoped, but the president was right, and this was an answer she would have to find on her own.

* * *

After returning home and saying hello to her mother, Tomoki stepped into her room, and closed the door behind her. She took off her blazer and her necktie, and unbuttoned the top button of her dress shirt.

Tomoki played her online tank game and won a match against the girls from Oarai who comprised Anteater Team, including the member who joined later.

**Nekota**: GG, Tomoki3.

**Tomoki**: Thanks, you too.

**Misha: **OOC, did you hear about this new player? I think her name was Touka.

**Tomoki: **What about her?

**Misha: **Her rating's been quickly rising over time. Hard to believe she's just a newcomer.

**Tomoki: **Interesting. I'll have to face her some time. What about you?

**Nekota**: We don't have as much time to play these days, though. We're in a tankery club at our school.

Seeing this, Tomoki became intrigued.

**Tomoki: **Really? What kind of team is it?

A long pause followed. Tomoki noticed that since Nekota was a somewhat fast typist, she must have started a lengthy response.

**Nekota: **There's all sorts in there; volleyball players, the Student Council, the auto club, the morals committee members, history buffs and so forth.

Momogawa's response came a moment later. It took very little time to type, and but she also seemed to agree without hesitation.

**Momogawa**: ^

**Piyotan**: Yeah, it's natural that a group of gamers like us would fit in.

**Misha: **My parents don't really like tankery, so I don't think they'd approve. Still, the prospect's tempting

Tomoki pondered what Misha had said. Her parents were fairly open minded about her electives, and were talked into accepting her attempts to start a gaming club, but she had not considered how they would feel about tankery.

**Nekota**: What about you, Tomoki3?

**Tomoki**: I haven't thought about it that much.

Immediately after sending her response, Tomoki began typing up the message that would elaborate on it, before the inevitable chorus of "Why not?" answers came.

**Tomoki**: To be honest, it's been difficult finding a group of people with whom I have much in common and can share my interests. I've head less than pleasant things about the commander's tendency to marginalize various people who don't fit in.

**Nekota**: I get what you're saying. Our commander isn't like that, though, and maybe you'll meet someone like her.

**Tomoki**: Maybe.

Noticing it was getting late,Tomoki logged off, with a great deal to think about.

* * *

_Present day_

"That was the first time I'd heard Touka's name online," Tomoki said. "I had heard of her here and there around the school, given her relation to the headmaster, but it hadn't become relevant to me until I heard about her as a gamer."

"I had thrown myself into you game to see if I could find you and judge your skills," Touka said. "Ever since I saw you recruiting for your club, I wondered if you were also a player of that online tank game."

"Do you have any idea of how low the probability of just happening to find me online is?" Tomoki said. "Or how much effort it would take to get up to my ranking? Or how difficult it would be to locate me in the real world?"

"I do," Touka said. "First, that was an assumption I had made for the sake of determining if you were a worthy tanker. Second, I will concede that it was quite fortuitous that you, too, lived on the Koala Forest school ship."

Even though school ships were meant to foster independence from one's parents, there were still "Sailor kids" whose parents worked on the ships they went to school on. Some of those parents worked at the school, as Touka's father was headmaster of Koala Forest, and Tomoki's father was a teacher, while others merely worked for the school community, as Yukari's parents were hairdressers.

There were those who derided them for being overly dependent on their parents. Others, however, were more sympathetic, concluding that it was natural for those who worked on school ships to raise families there, and for said families to want to stay together while they could. Still others saw that as preferable, and believed that it was natural and right for children to live at home.

In Touka's case, it meant it was simple enough to track Tomoki down, since both of them lived on the same ship.

* * *

_Last year_

During a school break, Tomoki was sitting down to play in her home in the Koala Forest school ship when she heard the doorbell ring. Shortly thereafter, her mother called up to her.

"Tomoki!" Tomoki's mother said. "There's a Ryuumonbuchi Touka-san from school at the door."

Tomoki's team had not yet entered the match, so she typed, "AFK, door" into chat, and walked into the living room, where she saw Touka, wearing a white dress and standing there waiting for her.

Tomoki had heard about Touka before hearing of her online, if only by virtue of the fact that the headmaster had a daughter, but only had a slight idea of why she had business with her. They had played against each other and Tomoki had won, but a more narrow victory than she had expected against a newcomer. She hoped to find out more about Touka, and learn what drove her on.

"I'm here," Tomoki said.

"Ryuumonbuchi-san, this is my daughter, Tomoki," Tomoki's mother said. "Tomoki, this is Ryuumonbuchi Touka-san, from your school."

"It's nice to meet you," Tomoki said, as she bowed.

"Likewise," Touka said.

"Would you girls like some privacy while you have your discussion?" Tomoki's mother said.

Touka and Tomoki sat down in the living room, with Tomoki sitting on the couch, and Touka pulling up a chair across from her.

"On second thought, I do believe we have met before in real life," Tomoki said. "You are one of the ones I invited to the gaming club."

"That is correct," Touka said. "And I have an invitation of my own to extend to you- to join Koala Forest's tankery team."

Tomoki nodded, intrigued. She had heard enough about tankery from Anteater Team to develop an interest in it. In spite of that, she had a few questions about the team before she committed to anything, starting with why Touka went out of her way to recruit her.

"I do have to ask," Tomoki said, "why, of all the possible people at Koala Forest, did you pick me? I have no tankery experience at this school, or prior to it."

"Because you are no ordinary tanker," Touka said. "You possess a skillset that few others do, and will fit in nicely with my handpicked crew."

Tomoki thought. _"This should be interesting."_

"I'm in," Tomoki said.

"Splendid," Touka said. "I will formally induct you into the team tomorrow at school, once you have made the proper arrangements."

Touka stood up and tuned

"My business with your daughter is concluded, madam," Touka said. "I am pleased to hear that she is interested in joining the tankery club, and will be on my way."

"So am I, Ryuumonbuchi-san," Tomoki's mother said. "Take care."

"See you tommorow," Tomoki said.

After Touka shut the door behind her, Tomoki's mother turned back to her.

"Ryuumonbuchi-san was quite something," Tomoki's mother said, "but at the same time, Tomoki, I'm glad you're getting out and spending some time with your schoolmates."

Tomoki decided to get back to the game, apologizing to her teammates for the delay, but she knew that she had work to do when she logged off. She would have to draft a resignation letter for the literary club; she was not particularly close to anyone there, but she felt she owed them that much. She would also have to do what she could to prepare for tankery.

* * *

_Present day_

"I always felt like the odd one out in the literary club, and the only one who didn't want to be there," Tomoki said. "But now, all of us in Team 13 are the odd one out in varying ways, and all of us are here because we want to be."

"Isn't it true that Coach Akasaka is new this year?" Hajime said.

"Yep," Jun said. "Apparently, she's a new hire, and somewhat sensitive about being considered an 'interim' coach."

"Well, when you think about it, Touka, Coach Akasaka really fit with the rest of us," Hajime said. "She's something of an oddball, but she's highly effective, and she works well with you."

"Indeed," Touka said. "But while she has earned my trust, she cannot yet say the same of her superiors. I have heard that the deal is that if she performs well, she will become our permanent coach, but if she does not, she will only remain until we find a replacement."

"But in the end, that is what we are doing, is it not?" Koromo said. "And it is all the more reason why we should win, no matter which opponent comes our way."

The five members of Touka's crew had different backgrounds, skillsets and motivations. But they worked well together, united by a common purpose, and were determined to defeat any school standing in their way, no matter the odds against them.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I decided to leave Jun's backstory to your interpretation, partly because hardly anything gets revealed about it in canon (Touka and Koromo are central characters, Hajime gets a few flashbacks, and Tomoki's backstory is shown in a picture drama).

On a minor Japanese language-related note, the five Ryuumonbuchi members all have somewhat distinct personal pronouns.

*Hajime uses "boku," which is mostly used by males, but also by some tomboyish girls and people whose gender is ambiguous.

*Jun uses "ore," a highly informal and masculine personal pronoun that virtually no females use, apart from those pretending to be male.

*Touka uses the extremely formal "watakushi," which nicely accentuates her background as a young woman from a privileged background.

*Koromo often uses her own name rather than a personal pronoun. In Japanese, the practice is not quite as outlandish as it is in English (for example, in Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair's English version, Ibuki's tendency to do this was greatly toned down), but it's generally something that only the fairly childish or exceptionally narcissistic(Katyusha, for example, is both) do.

*Tomoki, as far as I know, simply uses "watashi."

**Character Analysis: Koromo**

Koromo, not unlike Saki, is a character who canonically runs off of supernatural powers and is not especially suited to a leadership position; according to her official stats, her "Knowledge" and "Analysis" ratings are somewhat poor, indicative of a player who relies on luck and special talents, rather than special abilities. Since this does not apply to tankery, she is thus not much use as a leader.

Regarding Koromo's family situation it is known that her parents are dead and her uncle was reluctant to take her in. Granted, most of what we know about him is second-hand, but very little of it is flattering. She canonically misinterprets Touka's desire to help her make friends to mean that Touka herself is not one of them, and is only close to her because they are cousins.

Koromo dislikes being seen as the object of pity. Her uncle takes care of her, but (at least in Koromo's mind) privately wants little to do with her, so Touka understands that what help he gives is not out of simple benevolence. Koromo and Touka's mothers were sisters, and Touka's mother was the one to take in Koromo after Koromo's parents died of the yellow dust. After Touka's mother died of an illness, Touka's father carried on, to honor his wife's last wishes.

Koromo thus believes that Touka is only close to her because their mothers were related; Touka's answer to one of Koromo's questions was that because their mothers were related, they were family, and thus believes that Hajime, Jun and Tomoki are only close to her because of Touka. Touka, in spite of her benevolent intentions, unwittingly fosters that perception by insisting that they are family.

Koromo's personality is slightly offputting, alternating between childlike displays and periods of being morose and gloomy. Because there are few who get close to her, Koromo wonders about the motives of those who do take the time to do so. As such, until she comes to understand that such people truly care about her, she will have great difficulty opening up to them.

**Character Analysis: Touka**

Touka's dialogue can be interesting to write, as she speaks with elegance and grace, using the personal pronoun _watakushi_ among other things, but can also be somewhat blunt, rude and haughty. She speaks formally, but less out o politeness than out of a sense of pride.

Of course, Touka is far from a bad person. Her primary goal in both canon and this fic is to help her cousin make friends (albeit unaware that she unwittingly caused Koromo to believe that Touka herself is not a friend). By competing, she kills two birds with one stone, so to speak; she helps her cousin make friends while satisfying her own desire to find (and hopefully, defeat) strong opponents, a desire Koromo shares to some degree.

Touka has a few modes of interacting with others. If you get on her bad side, she will let you know in no uncertain terms. If you have proven yourself a reliable ally and trustworthy friend, she will do her best to express that, albeit not without a fair amount of awkwardness. If you, despite being an enemy, manage to earn her respect and defeat her, she will cheer for you in her own way, demanding that you not lose to anyone but her.

**Character Analysis: Hajime Kunihiro**

Hajime makes an interesting foil to Touka, being modest, reserved and not much for attention. The fact that she has had a great deal of negative attention, as a result of cheating in a game of mahjong (canon), or her father's alleged misdeeds and her allegd failure (this fic) gives her reason to merely hope to get by without much attention.

As a result of her past having changed, Hajime does not wear the chains that she wears to hinder her sleight of hand, and as a sign of her bond with Touka. This is one example of how adapting characters to Necessary to Win, some elements do not translate well.

In spite of that, many aspects of Hajime remain the same. She's determined to do her best at her given role, thereby proving her worth to Touka and helping her and the rest of her friends.


	19. Contingency Plans

**Chapter 13: Contingency Plans**

The day before the match with Koala Forest, Miho's morning went like any other since she started attending school at Oarai Academy. More than a year had passed since Miho had arrived at her new school, and less than a year remained until she would have to leave. The fact that less time remained until her graduation than had passed since her arrival was a sobering thought, but Miho tried to enjoy and make the most of her remaining time at Oarai, even as she prepared for what would come after it.

Waking up, Miho climbed out of bed and turned off her alarm clock. Having long since gotten used to Oarai, she made her bed, walked into the kitchen and prepared herself a piece of toast for breakfast, having set aside enough time to eat breakfast before school. Her mornings had been significantly more rushed at Black Forest, so she appreciated being able to take her time in the morning.

She then walked toward her closet and put on her school uniform. Whether she was wearing the white sailor fuku of Oarai, the gray and black German-style uniform of Black Forest, or the gray blazer-style uniform of Bismarck, putting the uniform on was second nature to her, and she wondered how she would adjust once she got to college.

Miho walked to school, coming in with the largest group of students, who were punctual but did not arrive especially early to school. After Saro and the other disciplinary committee members marked her as present and on time, Miho proceeded to the main school building, ascended to the third floor, and said hello to her friends from Anglerfish Team before they went to their separate classes. When lunch came, she met the four of them for lunch in the school cafeteria, hoping to eat together when they could, before they graduated and their lives took them separate directions.

* * *

Miho had just parted ways with her friends from Anglerfish Team and was heading to her afternoon classes when her cell phone began to vibrate. She picked it up and checking the caller ID, saw it was from her home phone.

_"Who could it possibly be?" _Miho thought. _"And what could they want from me now?"_

Checking her watch, Miho saw that she had a few minutes to spare, long enough to find out what the caller wanted. If it took longer than that, but was not vitally important, she could ask them to call back later, although she knew that her family did not frivolously call her.

"Hello, this is Miho," Miho said, expecting that the caller was someone close to her.

"Hello, Miho-sama," Kikuyo, a maid for the Nishizumi family, said. "Are you in the middle of something?"

"Not at the moment, Kikuyo-san," Miho said. "Lunch just ended, but I can talk for a moment."

Miho was already dreading what Kikuyo would tell her. The two kept in correspondence by mail, eagerly awaiting the other's letters but in no great hurry to hear a response. Kikuyo, who wore a kimono while on the job most of the time, but wore more modern clothing, such as suits, when the situation required it, said that while there were times when modern communication was necessary, she enjoyed being able to send and receive letters the old-fashioned way. As such, if Kikuyo had chosen to call by phone, the news was likely to be very important and unlikely to be very good.

"The master was hit by a car today," Kikuyo said. "It was a hit and run while he was crossing the street at work."

Miho listened to the rest of Kikuyo said, but found most of the details besides where her father was and whether he was still alive irrelevant.

"Is Father..." Miho began. "What's Father's condition?"

"He's unconscious at the moment," Kikuyo said. "He survived being taken to the hospital, but he's in intensive care. From what the mistress said, his condition will likely be in doubt for quite some time. I am sorry I cannot give you better news or more certain predictions than this."

"No, please don't be..." was all Miho could say. Kikuyo had to choose her words carefully, and often could only speak on Shiho's behalf. As such, Miho did not "shoot the messenger," so to speak, when Kikuyo delivered her particularly troubling news, like the time Kikuyo informed Miho that her mother was considering disowning her.

"In any case, Miho-sama," Kikuyo said. "I heard your match with Koala Forest is tomorrow."

"That's true," Miho said. "I know that Father always said that we should not let personal feelings get in the way of our duties, but he said that while I was still at Black Forest. Would he feel the same way about Oarai, a school that doesn't fight in the Nishizumi school's name?"

Kikuyo paused for a moment. At the moment, the only person who could answer that question for certain was fighting for his life.

"I cannot say what the master would want you to do in this situation, Miho-sama," Kikuyo said, "but he and the mistress are highly principled. I suppose he would be upset if your teammates performance suffered because you left your command on his account."

Miho remained silent, pondering how to respond. What Kikuyo said was true, but Miho could not help but feel as though it was beside the point.

"This isn't solely about Father, Kikuyo-san," Miho said. "Would my teammates want me to lead knowing about my present circumstances? Can I even do that for them as I am now?"

"I honestly do not know, Miho-sama," Kikuyo said.

Miho sighed. Kikuyo always did her best to answer Miho's questions, but could not always do so, whether because of her position, or because they were ones that Miho would have to answer herself. The latter was clearly the case, but Miho realized that no easy answers were coming to her. People were starting to file into the classrooms, and she realized that afternoon class was about to begin.

"I have to get to class, Kikuyo-san," Miho said. "Please let me know if you hear anything else."

"I will, Miho-sama," Kikuyo said. The two said their goodbyes, and Miho hung up.

Miho hung up, and hurried to her seat, just barely getting there before the teacher began class. Saro, making her final rounds through the halls before her class began, looked back at her, suspiciously, but chose to say nothing.

* * *

After hanging up, Kikuyo placed a call to Maho, who had already heard the news and was in the process of heading over to see her father.

"Hello, Kikuyo-san?" Maho said, immediately recognizing the caller ID.

"Maho-sama?" Kikuyo said. "I informed Miho-sama."

"How did she take it?" Maho said.

"She seemed conflicted," Kikuyo said. "She wants to help her friends, but she also wants to see her father."

Maho let off a sigh. As the Nishizumi heiress, she was all too familiar with having to choose her duty over her desires. She was able to take a brief leave of absence to see her father, but that was because she had no vitally important commitments.

"I'm not sure what to say here," Maho said. "Most of my difficult decisions have been between what I _have_ to do and what I _want_ to do, but in this case, Miho must choose between two things she wants. She wants to help her team, and she wants to be there for Father, but she can't choose both. In fact, it might be possible for her to make a choice that does neither."

Kikuyo solemnly nodded. She had many obligations for the Nishizumi family, but they were those she had chosen to take upon herself, and she could walk away if she so wished. As she sometimes reminded people she knew from outside the Nishizumi school, she was a servant, not a slave.

"I think I understand what you are saying, Maho-sama," Kikuyo said. "In life, as in tankery, one may find oneself faced with conflicting priorities and objectives. The only solution is to set priorities, and keep one's mission in mind."

Maho nodded, slightly relieved. Kikuyo had a habit of framing problems in tankery-related terms, knowing that tankery enhanced one's problem solving abilities.

"So Miho must understand what she wants to accomplish," Maho said. "I believe she is able to do that- and is the only one able to make that decision."

* * *

Before tankery practice began, Miho had a meeting with the Student Council and explained her situation. Her teachers had noticed that she was having trouble paying attention in her afternoon classes, and while a part of Miho wanted to soldier on, she realized that if she was having this much trouble in class, leading tankery practice, much less an actual match, would be beyond her.

"I'm sorry to hear this, Miho," Natsumi said.

"As am I," Shizuru said. "But I can tell that you're not here merely for sympathy, Nishizumi-san."

"I appreciate all of your condolences, but at this point, I also need your advice, and possibly, your permission," Miho said. "I'm weighing whether to see to my family, or stay behind and lead as I can, given it is unlikely that the problem with my father will improve in time for the match. The most I could hope for is that... the worst... does not come to pass."

The student council members looked at each other, and sighed.

"Ordinarily, the obvious answer would be to advise you to go to your family, Nishizumi-san, and leave the rest to us," Ayano said. "But I cannot, in good conscience, encourage you to do that without saying that there _will_ be consequences for the team. Your leadership is a significant asset for our team, enabling us to overcome the odds. If we go into the match without it, the chances of us defeating Koala Forest will significantly worsen."

"I get that you want Miho to know what's at stake here, Treasurer," Shiina said, "and I know you don't think much of sentimental arguments. But how about this? Is Miho any good to us if she's preoccupied with whether her dad will make it? We don't just ask people to show up; we ask them to do their best, and perform as well as they can."

"Fair enough, Vice President," Ayano said. "Kuzuki-sensei privately approached me after the last class, saying she was concerned about Nishizumi-san, and from what I saw of her, I had to admit I shared that concern. But I still believe that Nishizumi-san's absence from the match with Koala Forest will be a blow to morale, with the sudden departure of a tank commander."

"Perhaps, but isn't that what our vice-captain's for?" Shiina said. "Part of my duties are to fill in for the president when she's unable to do her job, and doesn't Nodoka do the same for Miho?"

Ayano shrugged before turning to Nodoka.

"I do," Nodoka said. "I am prepared to fill in for Miho-senpai should the need arise."

"You know, Treasurer, this situation once happened to your predecessor at her old school," Miho said. "Hisa-senpai... had some family issues, too, and she had to leave the final match to her team from her old school."

"How'd it go?" Shiina said, her eyes shining with hope. Miho and Nodoka shook their heads.

"Unfortunately, her team lost... to my and my sister's team," Miho said.

Shiina let out a sigh, disappointed. She turned to Ayano, but saw that her colleague, in spite of her disagreements with her, took no pleasure in hearing that Hisa's departure had not gone well for her team.

"But by all accounts, Miho-senpai's school's team was significantly stronger than hers, so it would have been a difficult fight even if they had their usual commander," Nodoka said, remembering how back then, her school had been eliminated before long in the tournament. Hisa's school had seemed so impressive compared to hers, and it was defeated by Black Forest.

"You have a point, Haramura-san," Shizuru said, "and I believe that our odds are not quite as grim this time as Takei-senpai's were four years ago. Koala Forest has gotten stronger since last year, but by all accounts, it's still an enemy we can defeat."

"Exactly," Shiina said. "And it's thus possible that Nodoka can lead us to victory over them just as Miho can."

Ayano nodded pleasantly, eagerly welcoming the possibility that the situation was not as bleak as she feared. She prided herself on valuing logic, but valued results above all else, and also was open to new ideas, so Shiina being right was a pleasant thought for her.

"That's possible," Ayano said. "So, Haramura-san, do you believe you are capable of this?"

Nodoka nodded.

"I'm prepared to lead in the coming battle," Nodoka said. "I will do everything in my power to see to it that we win."

"That's good to hear, Haramura-san," Shizuru said. "But in the end, this is not your decision or the student council's decision; it's Nishizumi-san's decision."

"You're not going to tell me what you think I should do, President?" Miho said.

"I do not believe it is my place to do so, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said, "since the decision is largely based on what you know and what values you have. Your family are strangers to me, and I am not the commander. Since I don't have the familial bonds with those people or sense of responsibility for the team's success that do, it's difficult to understand your predicament or your values. But I will tell you that whatever you do, you should commit yourself to doing it and not look back. If you lead us tomorrow, lead us to victory. If you see to your family, stay as long as you need to and come back when you are ready. The others have effectively outlined what the problems are and what is at stake, so it is up to you to decide what you value most. You know what your choices are, so now it is up to you to choose."

Miho nodded, considering what Shizuru, Shiina and Ayano had said thus far.

"And what about you, Natsumi-san? What do you think?" Miho said, turning to the one person who had not weighed in thus far. A part of her felt as though she was asking too much, but another wondered what she could possibly contribute to the team as she was.

Natsumi shook her head.

"I primarily act as a representative of the Student Council, speaking in favor of whatever decision we have come up with collectively," Natsumi said, taking on the serious tone that she did not use when trying to persuade people. "It's not our place to decide this time."

Miho nodded, having reached her decision. A part of her felt as though she was asking too much of the team, but what could she contribute, as she was? If she was culpable for the loss if they were defeated in her absence, would she not also be culpable if she failed to lead them to victory?

But she quickly put those thoughts out of her head, because this was not a question about responsibility or blame, but about competing desires to help the people closest to her. Two choices stood before her, mutually exclusive and seemingly opposites, but Miho believed that there was a way to achieve the best possible result for all concerned, and made that choice.

"I'm sorry, everyone," Miho said. "I must take a leave of absence and see to my family. Right now, I feel as though I can barely focus, and I do not believe I can give you the efforts you deserve, the efforts necessary for us to win."

"I see," Ayano said calmly. "Then I, along with the rest of us, will do what I can to overcome these odds without you. You aren't the only one with a weight on your shoulders, Nishizumi-san, and the rest of us have to do our parts."

"Please don't apologize, Miho," Natsumi said reassuringly.

"Yeah," Shiina said. "You've clearly thought this through, taking our interests and the feelings of your family into account."

"I do have one more piece of advice to impart to you, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said, "one that I have learned over the course of this year."

"What is it, President?" Miho said.

"The unfortunate truth is that there are times when you make what you know to be the right decision, or the best possible decision, but don't feel as though it is a _good_ choice, especially when you're a leader," Shizuru said. "You should not presume to be infallible, but you should not let your doubts prevent you from doing what you believe is the best choice."

"I won't," Miho said. "I thank you all for understanding, and wish you good luck, Nodoka-san."

"One more thing, Miho-senpai," Nodoka said, before Miho left. "I can lead the team as a whole, but what about your crew? Who will lead Anglerfish Team?"

"Yukari-san will lead," Miho said. "And I hope to talk to her before I leave."

* * *

Before leaving, Miho had a brief meeting with her crew, discussing the revised positions. Essentially, the only thing that had changed was that Yukari was both the loader and the commander.

The arrangement was less than ideal, given Yukari's job of loading the shells, but the circumstances left little other choice. Mako and Hana were preoccupied with their other roles, and they were among the best at drivers and gunners, respectively, among Oarai's team. Saori had once led during the practice match, but only as a result of a random drawing, and she quickly realized how out of he depth she was. Only Yukari had any experience commanding, during the battle with St. Gloriana, and she chose to take on the role, knowing she had large shoes to fill.

"Do all of you understand what you need to do?" Miho said, after briefly explaining the revised roles.

"Well, only Yukari's job has changed," Mako said, and Saori and Hana nodded.

"Yes, Nishizumi-dono," Yukari said. "Although I must say it is a difficult task to fill your shoes."

"You won't be filling my shoes as team commander, Yukari-san," Miho said. "Nodoka-san will be leading everyone else, so your task is to lead Saori-san, Mako-san and Hana-san while following Nodoka-san's orders."

"I know," Yukari said. "I trust Haramura-dono, the person you chose as your second-in-command, to lead us well."

"So do I," Miho said, "but even if you're not our commander or second-n command I'm sorry to thrust this responsibility on you so suddenly."

"Don't be," Yukari said. "Things like this often happen."

"I know how important this is to you," Mako said, "and I'd support this even if I got leadership of the team thrust onto me. I know all too well what it means to regret a decision, and how you feel when one of your loved ones is sick or hurt. So, if you've gotten everything in order, get going and leave the rest to us; you don't have _a second_ to waste."

"I see what you mean," Miho said, "which is why I must be going. Thank you, everyone, and good luck."

Miho bowed in gratitude before taking her leave.

As Miho quickly walked away, and was soon out of earshot, Saori turned back to the others.

"Miporin didn't say it, but she's clearly still conflicted about this," Saori said. "It's her family, but she still feels responsible for us, and she's not happy about how things stand at the point, even considering the nature of the situation as a family emergency for her."

"That's very much like her," Yukari said. "Nishizumi-dono cares for all of us, but she's only human, and she has doubts of her own. It thus makes sense that she'd struggle with a difficult decision like this, and feel less than certain about her choice."

"Then the solution is simple," Hana said. "We must manage in our absence so that Miho-san does not believe she is leaving a hole in the team. We must do our best so that Miho-san knows the team is in good hands. We must win so that Miho-san does not regret her decision."

"Yeah," Mako said. "A goal like that is one that even someone like me tries hard for."

* * *

After making a brief announcement to the team about her becoming commander, which was met with polite acceptance, Nodoka called Erwin aside for a private meeting in the office.

"You wanted to see me, Vice-captain?" Erwin said.

"I'm not all that much of a stickler for etiquette, Erwin-senpai," Nodoka said, "but if you'd like to call me by my title, I'm 'Acting Commander' right now.'"

Erwin nodded. Nodoka had agreed to call her by her "soul name" during one of their practice sessions together, so the least she could do is accede to this request.

"So what did you want to talk about, Acting Commander?" Erwin said.

"To put it simply, Miho-senpai needed me to temporarily fill in for her, so I now need someone to fill in for me," Nodoka said. "I'd like you to be the acting vice-captain for this match. We're thinking about getting Azusa from Rabbit Team ready, but she still has some ways to go, and of everyone on the team, you seem to be best for the short-term, even if you're graduating at the end of the year."

For Nodoka, the choice for a deputy vice-captain came down to Erwin and Azusa. While Azusa was considered as a possible candidate for a vice-captain once Miho graduated and Nodoka filled her place, both Miho and Nodoka had agreed that Azusa was not yet ready. Erwin was possibly the optimal choice, given that she had a wealth of knowledge about armored warfare, but her not having actually commanded anyone besides the three other history enthusiasts in the StuG meant that she might not be a _good _choice.

"I'm all for that, but what does that entail?" Erwin said. Her tone was mildly enthusiastic, but subdued by the gravity of the responsibility she was about to assume. Nodoka had not vocalized her inner thoughts, but those ideas were not lost on Erwin.

"Essentially, you will help me form the strategy for the match, but you're doing that already," Nodoka said. "Apart from that, should my tank get taken out, you will have to command the remaining Oarai forces."

"And what if my tank gets taken out, too?" Erwin said. "The comm... Anglefish Team managed to survive most of their battles, so transferring authority never came up before."

Erwin had barely caught herself in time, but both of them knew that not having Miho around would be a difficult burden to overcome.

"In that case, I suppose Akiyama-senpai or Azusa could take over," Nodoka said, almost offhandedly. "But in that case, we've already lost two of our better tanks, and in a practical analysis of the situation, we've likely lost some others, as well. Essentially, this is one of the worst possible scenarios under an already less than optimal set of circumstances, and it would be almost impossible to win."

"Just like Stalingrad," Erwin said.

"Of course, regardless of circumstances, there won't be any allowances made for us or second chances," Nodoka said. "We have to show up to the match on the appointed day with everyone we have available, or we will be disqualified. And if that happens or we lose, then we will go no farther in the tournament."

"I know," Erwin said. "History often records valiant efforts by the losers of various conflicts, but as the saying goes, it's most often written by the winners."

"That may be so, but in the end, we can only do what we can," Nodoka said. "Just like what Miho-senpai and Hisa-senpai have been doing until now. Most of us are holdovers from the team that won the championship, and those that weren't are getting up to the others' level. Let's prove that Oarai's strength doesn't just come from its commander."

* * *

Meanwhile, Miho made her way back to Kumamoto, a trip she had taken many times in the past, but never on short notice. She had packed a few essentials and booked passage there, but realized that the trip would take her all night, and a great deal would change by then.

She glanced over the railing of the boat that carried her away from the Oarai academy ship, a small ship that carried some supplies and a few passengers. While students were meant to spend most of their time on the ships, transportation to and from the ships was relatively easy to obtain. Yukari, while infiltrating Anzio, could have chosen a more traditional route of ingress, if her purposes had not required her to remain undetected.

Of course, while Miho was able to secure the means to reach her father's hospital in Kumamoto, and with Oarai Academy's ship off the west coast of Kyushu, she was in an optimal position to do so, the trip would not necessarily be easy or short. It would take her nearly an entire day of travel to reach her father, but what would she find when she reached him? Was the decision even the right one?

Miho's thoughts drifted back to the other option, the one she had not taken. She felt as though she was abandoning her team, and wondered if she, even at reduced capacity, could at least give her all, just like everyone else was. Of course, in her old school, it had taken more than enthusiasm and hard work to become part of the main team, and Maho had to tell many members of the team that their performance was not up to the level that Black Forest expected of them, even if they were trying their hardest and were an optimal frame of mind.

She recognized the emotion as the one Shizuru had told her about, and realized that such doubts were common when one made leadership decisions. Shizuru was starting to realize that not all of her decisions would be easy, and was wondering whether she could so easily criticize Anzu for doing what she did. Perhaps Shizuru would have sympathy for Miho if people took issue with what she had chosen.

In the end, Miho's decision had been made, and the team's success lay in the hands of Nodoka and her other subordinates. She still had to wonder whether her decision was the right one, but she felt confident that the girls who had helped her team win so many times in the past when fighting under her would be able to do so again without her.

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

The Koala Forest arc will test Oarai's ability to do tankery battle without Miho. In the future, Oarai will have to succeed without many of the members whose skills led them to victory in the past, and no battle will test them more in this regard than one in which they must fight without their leader and most valuable member.

In particular, Miho's decision is by no means easy or clear-cut, and the various discussions and debates explore the pros and cons of each option, as well as the possible consequences. In the end, Miho makes her choice, but since she has yet to see what will come of it, she is still not completely sure about it.

While Miho has gained a great deal of confidence in the last year, she is understandably vulnerable and doubtful here because of her circumstances. It's thus plausible that no matter which decision she makes, she will feel a great deal of unease and doubt.

**Character Analysis: Riko "Erwin" Matsumoto**

Or "Why Erwin isn't vice-captain in Necessary to Win."

As a character, Erwin is defined first and foremost by her love of history. A somewhat telling point is the talent show in OVA 6, in which each team is forbidden from using their specialty, which varies (for Duck Team, it's obviously volleyball, while the Anglerfish Dance is the only thing besides tankery that Anglerfish Team has in common). While popular among history fanatics for this reason, the fact that she can't go beyond her obsession with history means that any fanfic writer will essentially have to build her character mostly from scratch.

Erwin is also Miho's yearmate, meaning that she will graduate at the same time as Miho. Perhaps she could fill in for Momo once she graduates, but she cannot replace Miho. She also has a great deal of knowledge about World War II-era armored vehicles, but little command experience. As such, she's probably a passable short-term replacement vice captain, but there are better candidates for Miho and Nodoka's long-term successors.

In terms of competence, I would rank Erwin and the others who were or might have been Oarai's commander as follows:

1)Miho. Oarai's team fits her own style of tankery well, which is why she has been able to lead them to victory time and again.

2)Hisa, and Nodoka by the end of her high school career. They're both talented in their own right, although Nodoka's somewhere between here and third place at this point.

3)Azusa by the end of Necessary to Keep Winning. Her skills will improve quite a bit, even if she may never reach the same level as her senpais and predecessors. Arguably, at this point, she's slightly below fifth place, though.

4)Nodoka at the beginning of her time at Oarai. She has skill, but has not had all that much success in the past.

5)Erwin, for the reasons I mentioned above.

6)Azusa as of the start of the series, since she's just another newcomer to tankery.

Dead Last: Momo. In addition to her trigger-happiness making her an atrocious gunner, she also does not possess the calmness or tactical acumen necessary to be a good leader. She is a fairly good loader, though.


	20. Entrusted Hopes

**Chapter 14: Entrusted Hopes  
**

The morning of the match, Miho arrived at the hospital, and met up with her family in the waiting room near where her father was being operated on.

Miho's anxiety was almost palpable. The trip over seemed to be an almost interminable wait for news about her father's condition, so she could only imagine waiting the entire match without hearing anything... unless, perhaps, the match ended far more quickly and less favorably than she had hoped.

As she entered the room, Miho saw her mother, her sister and her aunt, who had apparently arrived not long before her.

To an outsider, Shiho seemed to be unaffected by what was going on and possibly even callous toward what had happened toward her own husband. But while Shiho had recovered from the initial shock, Shiho was a far cry from her stoic and resolute usual self. There were bags under her eyes, as she had seemingly not slept at all the entire night.

"Hello, Mother, Onee-chan," Miho said. "It's been a while, Aunt Koharu."

The three other women nodded at Miho. Shiho was bottling whatever feelings she had over her husband in critical condition inside of her, knowing that neither feeling emotion nor displaying it would have any beneficial impact on Homura's fate. Maho remained silent, knowing that her mother was nearby and having to defer to her, but she gave a silent smile to Miho, glad she could be here in spite of the circumstance.

Miho's aunt was another matter, and Miho would not have expected to see her apart from the fact that Miho's father was also Koharu's younger brother. Koharu's job as a professional tanker resulted in her visiting her brother, sister-in-law and nieces a few times a year while Miho and Maho were young. By the time Miho and Maho went to high school, they typically saw her only once a year in most cases, and Miho had not seen her since she had transferred out of Black Forest.

The fact that her aunt was rarely present in Miho's life did not sadden Miho as much as most would thought, since she knew her aunt's loyalties were more in line with the Nishizumi school rather than the Nishizumi family. Koharu's ideology was in line with the Nishizumi school in most cases, and believed that it was Shiho's right to raise her children however she wished- or cast them aside if she must. Had Koharu married and had children, perhaps she would have raised them the similarly, even if they would be behind Shiho's daughters in the Nishizumi school line of succession. So Koharu stood alongside Shiho, silently questioning Miho's decision.

"How's Father?" Miho said.

"Your father has been taken into surgery at the moment," Shiho said. "They're still working on him, but he's not out of the woods yet, so to speak."

"I see," Miho said. "The worst hasn't happened yet, but this is not exactly reassuring."

"Did you really come all this way just to hear this news?" Shiho said, her voice laced with frustration. "It seems that you could potentially be helping your team at the moment. As head of the Nishizumi school, I hardly care how your team fares outside of your battle with us, but simply believe that this says a great deal about where your priorities lie."

Miho shook her head, before answering without any further hesitation.

"If I had come to the match, my mind would have been elsewhere," Miho said, "thinking of Father, wondering whether he was alright, and possibly hesitating at a critical moment. I couldn't have helped my team, whether our way, or the Nishizumi way. I have to wonder; is this why the Nishizumis say that we must advance without hindrance from our emotions?"

"It's _one_ reason," Shiho said. "Emotions and things that have no concrete value can undermine one's commitment to the common goal, and it is selfish for one person or group to place their needs above those of the entire team."

Miho sighed. When she was younger, her friends had done tankery together, without winning any matches or earning any trophies, and with a performance that could only be described well compared to other beginners.

"Perhaps _that_ is why I could never become a true Nishizumi style tanker, Mother," Miho said. "I never could deny my feelings or dismiss one person's desires as meaningless compared to the whole. Because of the latter, I would have allowed this for any of my teammates. And because of the former, I don't believe I can command well as I am now. If I tried to do so, would that not also be irresponsible?"

Shiho remained silent for a moment, somewhat caught off guard by Miho posing such a question and arguing against her in terms of practicality. It was clear that Miho could no longer be convinced to accept Shiho's way of tankery, but Shiho was somewhat surprised to see Miho arguing so vigorously in defense of her own decisions.

"Perhaps you are right," Shiho said, "and perhaps this was the best choice you could make. But in any case, we shall see whether your faith in your friends is justified, or your absence is their downfall."

Miho let off a soft sigh. She knew that it was difficult for her mother to understand what her friends meant to her, let alone realize their worth while judging them by the Nishizumi school's standards.

* * *

At the arena, Nodoka's four friends from Saunders showed up to watch the match, having kept up on Nodoka's exploits in tankery, and having started to watch her matches in person, for the sake of supporting her and cheering her on. Shizuno wore her jersey, while Ako wore a sundress. Kuro and Arata had changed into their uniforms, their typical attire for watching tankery matches, so they were surprised when Shizuno and Ako had not followed suit.

"Hi Kuro, good to see you made it, too," Ako said.

"You're not wearing your uniform, Shizuno-chan, Ako-chan?" Kuro said.

"Shizu talked me out of it," Ako said. "She said it would be incredibly hot where we were going."

"Well, it's not like you _have_ to wear the uniform to tankery matches that we're watching," Harue said, wearing a short-sleeved blouse and a medium-length khaki skirt. "Just wait two more years, Shizu, and you can wear what you want within reason at university."

"Knowing her, she'd probably wear her jersey all the time," Ako said.

They then saw Yuu waving to them, wearing a long skirt, a thick sweater and an overcoat. Yuu had gone onto university, and enjoyed the ability to dress as she pleased, favoring conservative, tasteful and most of all, warm attire.

"Hello, everyone," Yuu said, waving. While going to a university separate from the rest of her friends from Saunders had further forced Yuu out of her shell, she still enjoyed watching tankery matches with her younger sister and the rest of their mutual friends from their hometown of Achiga.

"Hi, Onee-chan!" Kuro said. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"I'm glad to see Nodoka-chan's match with you and the others, Kuro-chan," Yuu said. "But why are the others looking at me so strangely?"

Arata, starting to feel a little hot, took off her blazer, unbuttoned her shirt's top button and loosened Harue's old necktie. Kuro started to do the same.

"I've known you since we were kids, Yuu-san," Arata said, "but your sensitivity to the cold still amazes me sometimes."

"I know," Yuu said. "I can hold onto your blazers, Kuro-chan, Arata-chan."

The girls proceeded to the arena to take their seats, not yet aware of how she had taken command of Oarai for the match. The sudden change in command had been reported to those holding the match, but was not common knowledge, save for a select few who had been entrusted with that information.

* * *

Meanwhile, Oarai was in the process of making its preparations in a staging area, having prepared for desert combat since they had received the notification of where the match would take place days in advance. The only difference was that Nodoka, rather than Miho, was now in charge, although since she had helped oversee the preparations in the past, the process flowed smoothly.

While Oarai was making its preparations, Touka's group approached their staging area. They wore uniforms resembling those that the Australian tankery corps wore in World War II, with Koromo having one that was custom-made for her. The team had seen a few members who were as tall as Jun, but none who were as short as Koromo.

"Haramura Nodoka?" Touka said.

"Yes, I am," Nodoka said. "And you are?"

"Ryuumonbuchi Touka, desu wa," Touka said. "I command the Koala Forest team, and I would like to meet Nishizumi Miho, my esteemed adversary in our match on this day."

An awkward silence descended as Nodoka looked around at her teammates. She was as good a person as any to tell about what happened with Miho, and perhaps the best person to speak for the team as acting commander.

"Nobody told you?" Nodoka said. "My commander, Nishizumi Miho-senpai, was unable to come to the match today, as a result of... a family issue."

Touka let off a sharp sigh of disappointment, her expression quickly turning disdainful. It was clear that Nodoka was leaving some information out, out of regard for Miho's privacy, but Touka and Nodoka knew that it was beside the point. Miho would not be commanding Oarai,

_"I'd hoped to face off against the champion," _Touka thought. _"But now this girl I've heard so little about is replacing Nishizumi Miho. She hardly seems like a worthy opponent, but defeating her will have to suffice for now."_

Koromo, meanwhile, had an oddly gloomy expression. When even her own teammates often struggled to understand what was on her mind, Oarai was naturally completely ignorant of her thoughts.

Tomoki briefly glanced in Touka's direction, before turning back to Nodoka.

"It can't be helped," Tomoki. "Our vice-captain is not feeling well, so we also have to fight with a handicap of our own."

_"That's fairly mundane by comparison,"_ Nodoka thought. For a moment, she had to wonder if perhaps Oarai needed benched players to serve as substitutes for their teammates, so that they would be able to deal with contingencies of this nature.

"Sorry to hear that, Haramura-san," Hajime said. "Let's both do our best."

"Yes, let's," Nodoka said.

"See you later, Haramura Nonoka!" Koromo said, departing before Nodoka could correct her about the pronunciation of her name.

While outwardly cheerful, inwardly, Koromo was disheartened by this development. She hoped Miho would present more of a challenge to Touka, and grant her even more prestige when she was ultimately defeated. But more than that, she hoped Miho would have some understanding of what it was like to be an unneeded part of the family, even if she was lucky enough to still have her parents.

Koromo realized her situation was far from unique, but at times, wondered just how much those closest to her understood it.

* * *

As the match's pre-game greetings, both sides gathered with nine of their ten regular commanders, plus one substitute. Yukari served as Miho's replacement as the Panzer IV commander, while Erwin stood as deputy vice-captain. The replacement for Touka's vice-captain came from one of the crews that had been benched.

As Touka and Nodoka exchanged a pre-game handshake, Nodoka realized the significance of this match. Oarai would have to be able to fight without Miho's leadership, and would have to deal with unexpected situations.

* * *

At the site of the match, Nodoka turned to Erwin after hearing which tank would be the flag tank- her own Tas.

"It seems my tank is the flag tank this time," Nodoka said. "Do you know what that means?"

"I do," Erwin said. "If you're taken out of the game, no one will be able to step up and replace you. It seems you'll be in charge until the end, however this match goes."

Nodoka nodded grimly. These were hardly the circumstances that she had wanted for her first battle as Oarai's commander, even if she understood Miho's decision. But even if she could not choose the circumstances in which she was fighting, she was the commander, and had the responsibility of leading Oarai to victory. Nodoka did not believe in deserting her responsibilities or making excuses, so she vowed to do her utmost, as she always had.

* * *

Elsewhere, Nodoka's parents watched the match. Their daughter had confirmed that she would be competing, and had informed them of Miho's absence.

"So, is it true that Nodoka's in charge this time?" Kei said, seeing his daughter representing Oarai as the acting commander.

"That's what Nodoka told me, Kei-san," Reiko said. "Apparently, Nishizumi-san, Nodoka's commander, was unable to come to the match today, as a result of family troubles."

"I see," Kei said, only able to give the barest acknowledgment of his wife's answer as he was lost in thought about it.

"Is something the matter, dear?" Reiko said.

"It's the first time I've ever thought about it this way," Kei said. "Nodoka is serving a leadership position in her team, filling in for another person who is, due to circumstances beyond either of their control, unable to fulfill her responsibilities. Tankery might be a game, but ever since last year, Oarai has become known as the 'underdog champions of tankery'; they take pride in that reputation, and now Nodoka and the others are upholding that. Perhaps I misjudged Nodoka's dedication."

"Once again, it's time to see how she does, dear," Reiko said. "I, for one, am rooting for her success for her and her friends' sakes."

* * *

Elsewhere, Hisa and Mihoko sat in the stands, having just heard about the news about Miho. Miho had called Hisa when she had a spare minute, and Hisa had told Mihoko the news.

"So Haramura-san is in the same position you were in three years ago, Hisa," Mihoko said, immediately recognizing the news' significance for Oarai.

"Well, not quite the same position," Hisa said. "Back then, I probably would have lost to Miho and her sister even if I had been able to come. By comparison, Nodoka has more favorable odds. Koala Forest defeating St. Gloriana is no mean feat, but they're not quite as much of a powerhouse on their level as Geneva or Black Forest."

"Perhaps," Mihoko said. "But now she has the same responsibilities as Nishizumi-san does, entrusted with leading the entire team, and making decisions that will determine the outcome of the match."

"Yes, and that's a position she'll likely have permanently next year," Hisa said, smiling as she realized that she could speak confidently about events to come, and plan for the future, "since she's one of the few with any leadership experience. This match will likely be an important test for her."

"I see," Mihoko said, worried about Nodoka. As her own school had been eliminated, Oarai was the school she rooted for among all those remaining.

Hisa then placed a hand on Mihoko's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile, looking her straight in both her eyes.

"What I'm saying is that Nodoka will do just fine," Hisa said. "And so will everyone else on my old school's team."

* * *

Miho and Maho sat down in a waiting room, and saw that the television was tuned to a live report on the match between Oarai and Koala Forest. The only others who appeared to be watching were those who were bored while waiting for someone else, and none of them had as much invested in the match's outcome as she had. Miho had made her decision, and now the time had come to see how it would impact her teammates.

A thought went through Miho's head as she sat with her sister in silence. If she were hospitalized, would the rest of her family necessarily return the favor for her? Her mother placed duty first, and her father and her aunt supported Shiho, the family matriarch and head of the school, in all things. The only member of her family she could count on to do this for her was her sister, although being far away and having her own responsibilities would make it difficult. Miho was seized with anxiety and her hands, resting on the armrests of the chair, clenched in anxiety until Maho laid a comforting hand on her, and gave Miho the best reassuring smile she could manage in spite of being burdened with similar concerns.

This was the part of Maho that was Miho's sister, the part Miho loved and admired, rather than the part that was the heiress Shiho wanted, a forced, artificial construct dedicated first and foremost to the Nishizumi school. Miho was fully aware that she was different from most of the others in which part of her sister she held dearest to her, among many other regards, and had long since given up on trying to emulate them.

One way in which Miho was set apart was that she never was completely free of doubt when it came to difficult decisions, like the one she had recently made concerning the match. Miho never saw her emotions as a sign of weakness, but proof that she was human. These feelings were one of many ways she fell short of Nishizumi style perfection, but she did not see this or any of her other deviations from it as flaws.

_"Perhaps you see it as mistake that I came here instead of fighting and denying my feelings, Mother, Aunt Koharu," _Miho thought. _"But just as you believe in the Nishizumi style, I believe in my friends, and am confident that they can win without my leadership."_

* * *

**Author's Notes**

This is one case in which Miho can argue more passionately in favor of her style of tankery, having seen that it can compete with the Nishizumi style. She's no more able to convince her mother of her points than she had been before, but now, she can stand up for herself, and even surprise Shiho at times.

This part of the story also focuses to some degree on the Nishizumi family, such as how a crisis like this one would challenge them. The short answer is that it doesn't change them as much as might be expected. The majority of them still put the family's collective goals (mainly its school) ahead of any individual member, but they are affected in various ways by what had happened, even if not all of them readily admit it.


	21. One of Us

**Chapter 15: One of Us**

The match between Oarai and Koala Forest began, with many, including those unable to participate, watching. Only those privy to the inner workings of the team, including family and friends of those in charge, truly understood the significance of the match for each team, but the practical implications were obvious. In this match, as in the rest, one team would advance and the other would be eliminated from the tournament, so the temporary setbacks for each team could potentially decide the match. There would not be any second chances for the loser, not even as compensation for their absent members, so both teams resolved to give their all so that they could continue onward, with their team whole once again.

* * *

Elsewhere, in one of the Koala Forest student apartments, Sugino Ayumu, Touka's vice-captain, lay in bed with a stomach flu. She was accompanied by her friend and roommate, Saionji Miyuki, who was not on the tankery team, but in the morals committee. The two girls wondered if they were the only ones in the apartment complex, if not on the entire ship at the moment. Not everyone was interested in tankery, but hardly anyone would simply stay in their apartments or even on the ship when they could go to land, unless they had no other choice. Ayumu had urged Miyuki to take advantage of the ship's time in port, but Miyuki had politely refused, saying that caring for her friend came first, and she would find it difficult to enjoy going out alone.

As such, the two girls stayed in their apartment, with the television turned toward the bed and its channel set to the match. Miyuki had complied with Ayumu's request despite her fears that what she saw would only make her feel worse.

"Are you sure you want to watch the match, Ayumu?" Miyuki said, in one last attempt to make Ayumu change her mind and turn off the television.

"Yes, please," Ayumu said. "If I can't be there, fighting alongside Touka-sama and the others, then the least I can do is watch it until the end, whatever the outcome may be."

Ayumu felt pangs of regret as she said this. It had been clear since she vomited her breakfast all over her tankery uniform that she would not be well enough to attend the match, but in the hours that had passed since then, she had not grown any happier with the choice that had been forced upon her.

Ayumu had many reasons to want to help Touka, as it was her obligation to her commander and future mistress, and her desire to help someone she liked and the rest of her friends on her team. Ayumu could never forget her sense of obligations as much as she wished she could, and as such, felt somewhat jealous of Hajime for being able to overcome her initial unease around Touka and speak with her informally. In spite of that, Ayumu served under Touka because she wished to, and hoped that her replacement would be able to see the match through to the end as well as she could.

* * *

Nodoka set out from her relatively flat and clear starting location, surveying her surroundings as she did so. She could see for kilometers around, save for the drifting clouds of sand, and hills scattered throughout the landscape.

Some would describe the part in which the two teams searched for each other as boring, but Nodoka believed that it was an important part of the match that was a test of both teams' discipline as well as their skill. It was like the twenty paces before a pistol duel; the moment the duelists took their shots was critical, but being prepared for that moment was also of the utmost importance.

"Is there any sign of the enemy, Maho-chan?" Nodoka said.

"Not yet, Nodoka-senpai," Maho said.

"Are the other crews maintaining radio silence unless they spot something?" Mako said.

"They are, Someya-senpai," Maho said. "Though Maho can't help but feel that this is somewhat boring."

"It can't be helped, Maho-chan," Nodoka said. "This is an important part of the match. The main reason Ayers' Rock defeated us three years ago was because our formation broke down."

"I remember that, djey," Yuuki said. "But you held together pretty well, Nodo-chan."

"That's true, Yuuki-senpai," Maho said. "Ayer's Rock was a tough opponent."

"It's more that we were poorly organized and became easy pickings," Nodoka said. "That's why I believe in staying focused, keeping disciplined. Perhaps if we do that, the enemy will be the one to make a mistake first, giving us an opportunity to triumph. Just stay vigilant, as we are now, and we'll be prepared for the enemy's arrival."

Nodoka left unspoken how Maho was one of the people she had once been most concerned about in terms of discipline for two reasons. The first was that Maho had recently improved significantly on that regard, so in recognition of Maho's efforts, Nodoka had moved toward positive reinforcement, praising her good decisions and telling her to keep up the good work, something that Maho greatly appreciated. The second was that a match was no time to critique team members' tankery performance, save for warning them of crucial mistakes they were about to make. Either they were prepared to fight for the school going into the match, or they would never get to that point in the course of it.

Nodoka knew that the attack would be coming soon, and it was likely that most, if not all of the Koala Forest forces would be committed to it. Until they encountered the enemy, the only thing she could do was prepare for them, and ensure that she would have the advantage she needed to prevail.

* * *

Touka, in her Sentinel, relayed orders to the others on the far end of the battlefield, at the base of a large hill. Touka was well aware that the two sides would first spot each other when one crossed over it, and considering their location and Touka's aggressive strategies, Koala Forest would be the first to cross. As such, they had to prepare for when the two sides met each other.

"Teams 5 and 6, protect the flag tank," Touka said, to the crews of an AC II Sentinel and an M3 Stuart. "The rest of us will advance and seek out the enemy. With a strong enough attack, we should be able to throw the enemy into disarray."

Koala Forest's forces advanced. Their methods favored offensive, even if they were not quite up to Black Forest's standards in terms of discipline or approach. By putting their opponents on the defensive, they would be able to reduce how much they could proactively make plans. A successful attack would give them a tactical advantage in this regard that would last until the enemy's forces were ground down, and their flag tank was destroyed.

Of course, Touka hoped it would not go quite so easily, for Koromo's sake. St. Gloriana had fallen a bit too easily for Koromo's liking, although Hajime, Jun and Tomoki had debated whether Koromo had expected too much of St. Gloriana, whether St. Gloriana's performance was underwhelming, or whether it was simply a matter of incompatible strategies, respectively. Touka was unsure whether any of those theories was true, but was clear on one thing- for her cousin's sake, she would lead her team to victory, and expected Oarai to put up a fight worthy of their status as champions.

* * *

In the stands, Sumire and Teru watched the match. They had received a last-minute notice from Maho that she would not be attending because of their father's injury, and Miho would not be commanding.

The news had given Teru much to think about. She had heard less than pleasant things about the Nishizumi family, but at least they were still together. Shiho and Homura had seriously pondered forcing Miho out of the family for not contributing to their mission, but Miho's parents were united in a common purpose. Perhaps this crisis would not force the family apart, as Mizuho's death had done for the Miyanagas.

Teru allowed those thoughts to fade from her mind as she realized once again that she had spent too much time dwelling on the past and what could not be changed. Her mind shifted to the present, and the ramifications of Miho's absence from the battlefield. Miho had made a difficult choice, like Teru had four years ago, and was now watching its results play out.

"So Oarai, as a team, is able to continue fighting without their commander," Teru said. "It does make me think of Rhineland, which has had a good year thus far, and it's somewhat bittersweet to see that your friends can carry on perfectly well without you."

Sumire shrugged, unsure of how to respond. For the former part, Oarai was facing yet another difficult battle, in some ways more difficult than the ones that had come before it.

"Well, a surprisingly large portion of the graduating class at Black Forest didn't necessarily go on to our university, or even university-level tanking," Sumire said. "Some went on to the professional level, others enlisted in the JGSDF, others went on to other universities, and still others had different career plans. Maho's the only person I really know well on this team, and to some degree, the opposite is true."

"I think I heard that, too," Teru said. "But then again, Sumire, before you met me, you weren't exactly the sociable type, so that's not entirely saying much."

"Perhaps, Teru," Sumire said, acknowledging that most of her friends, save for Maho and her former crewmates, were people Teru had introduced to her. "All the same, I do miss having you around the tankery team."

Teru sighed. She knew Sumire had not intended to guilt trip her, but found it unpleasant to be reminded of one of the things she was giving up. A part of her wondered if that feeling was proof that she regretted giving up tankery.

"I know," Teru said. "I've met some of my closest friends through tankery, and part of me wants to come back for that reason alone. But another part is less certain. While I'm not very fond of the Nishizumi style, I have always, on a subconscious level, thought of tankery as something in which I must do my best, or not bother participating in it at all. When I think about it that way, I'm not sure it's as simple as doing it alongside a friend or foro my own purposes."

"Maybe it _is_ that simple," Sumire said. "You did say something like that to me once, back in middle school, when I was unsure of why I should do tankery, and when Saki was unsure as well. Saki may no longer be at the same school as you, but you persisted onward, and you enjoyed at least part of it, didn't you?"

Teru had no answer to that, as she looked at the screen. Sumire was speaking to undeniable truths, albeit ones that she did not necessarily believe were all there was to the issue.

"I see," Sumire said. "I'm sorry, Teru; perhaps it's too much to expect you to give an answer like this right now. But in any case, I believe that question is worth considering."

"You could say that," Teru said. "My reconciliation with Saki began as a result of my asking myself the right questions. Perhaps that may be the first step toward getting back into tankery, as well."

* * *

Oarai continued to advance through the desert, seeing drifting clouds of sand. To their right,there was an area with rough terrain, and ahead of them, there was a large hill. When thinking of the desert, Nodoka had thought of wide open barren spaces, with civilization seemingly nowhere in sight. Here, she realized that the enemy would likely come out of nowhere, striking them hard and fast.

Suddenly, Koala Forest emerged from the top of the hill, and opened fire on Oarai, with gun blasts breaking the desert's silence. It was an aggressive attack, albeit not quite like the Nishizumi school's doctrine of advancing without hesitation, but one more aimed at disrupting the enemy forces. With a strong beginning, Touka was able to ride the momentum toward victory by keeping the enemy on the defensive.

Oarai unleashed a barrage of fire in hopes of stopping that momentum flat, like parrying a sword thrust and turning aside the enemy's weapon. Anteater Team struck an M3 Lee at the head of the pack in the side, causing it to lag behind and grind to a halt in the sand kicked up by the explosion and the advancing tanks, leaving it out of sight as its white flag deployed. Octopus Team struck an M3 Stuart on the edge of the group in the side, with the resulting cloud of smoke preventing the others from counterattacking. For a moment, it seemed as though Koala Forest's advance had been slowed, if not turned aside entirely.

But when Koala Forest returned fire, they did so with greater force than their first salvo. A shot from a Grant hit Duck Team, causing the tank to shake from the impact. While it was from quite far away, it did not take much to penetrate the Type 89's armor, so no one was surprised when the white flag raised. Several other Koala Forest tanks fired, creating blasts that kicked up the sand and were far closer to Oarai's tanks than they would like. One of those shells, from the Matilda in the vanguard, found its mark on Mallard Team, piercing the French tank's rear armor from relatively close range and forcing up the white flag.

Saro sighed, disappointed in yet another lackluster performance. Sodoko had once complained about enemies in tankery using various cowardly tactics- sniping, ambushes, radio interception and more- but while Saro was more pragmatic, she realized that even Sodoko could not complain here. Sodoko had come in late in the tournament, facing two of Oarai's stronger foes with very little experience, and was thus outclassed in both her matches. Saro hoped to do better than Sodoko had, but she realized that as things were, the prospects of her being able to do so did not look very encouraging.

_"The enemy's strong," _Saro thought. _"It's not just their equipment, but they fight with a certain degree of ferocity and valor. They may not be up to Black Forest or Pravda, but I'll have to step up my game to compete."_

Oarai returned fire more desperately, with many of the shots falling short of the Koala Forest tanks or going where they had once been. While Hippo Team's shell struck an M3 Grant and disabled it, Nodoka realized the situation was getting desperate. Oarai was not at its optimal performance simply because these were not optimal circumstances for a fight; they were reeling in the face of the enemy's offensive. The only viable option seemed to be the most obvious; removing themselves from this situation and fighting on better terms.

"Retreat for now!" Nodoka said. "Our current situation is untenable. We'll split up, and my group will draw some of the tanks away from the main group"

Oarai's groups immediately complied with the order, with the remaining tanks splitting into two groups according to Nodoka's direction. As they did so, however, Koala Forest continued taking aim and firing at them. Oarai's strategy had changed, but Koala Forest's had not, so they pressed on the attack, hoping to further whittle down the enemy's forces.

As Tomoki had the Chi-nu in her sights, she recognized it. Nekota had mentioned it in passing, remembering the time when Anteater Team had told her about finding it. While somewhat more outgoing in real life than Anteater Team was, Tomoki had some understanding of how difficult it was for them to meet people in the real world, and how important it was.

But all that was irrelevant at the moment. Touka had given her a target, and it was up to her to disable the enemy tank, regardless of who was inside.

Touka's tank fired, taking out Anteater Team with a well placed shell straight in the anteater mascot, charring it black and swiftly bringing the tank to a halt. The white flag then rose.

_"Not a bad effort, girls," _Tomoki thought, _"but you're not quite in my league just yet."_

"Marvelous work, Tomoki," Touka said with smug pleasure. "Commence pursuit of Haramura Nodoka's tank, desu wa!"

Touka looked at the tank tracks in the sand and, while making note of their directions, saw that there were significantly fewer of Oarai's leaving than there were coming in. She had made her mark on the enemy, and she was confident that it would not be long before their flag tank fell, as well.

* * *

In the stands, Sheila watched her successor as commander with mixed emotions.

Sheila was not completely happy about appointing Touka as commander, and believed there were many reasons she never would be. She had seen potential in Touka- namely, unparallelled determination, a good grasp of tactics and exceptional charisma- but also saw her as rude, hot-tempered and poorly disciplined.

In spite of all her misgivings, Sheila had known back then, and knew now, that it was the best decision for the team. Her abilities had taken her only so far, and she had been defeated in the end. She had to admit that she did not think herself capable of defeating St. Gloriana, nor was she capable of defeating the school that had defeated St. Gloriana last year. Perhaps, if nothing else, she could admit that Touka had more aptitude for leadership than she did.

Her thoughts drifted to her alma mater's opponents, and their circumstances. Part of her was pleased with the idea that Koala Forest's current rival would be at a disadvantage. But another part wondered about Miho and Nodoka. Miho had chosen to trust Nodoka with leadership of the team temporarily, and would likely do so on a more permanent basis in the future. The circumstances reminded Sheila of the deciding factor in her being appointed. In an exhibition match with Waffle, her predecessor as commander had been unable to attend, and Sheila had led in her stead, winning the match and enabling Koala forest to avoid having to cancel the match.

Since then, Sheila had taken steps to minimize the influence of those she deemed untrustworthy or less than competent. Some people disliked her because they felt they or their friends had been unfairly labeled. Others disliked her for bucking Koala Forest's tradition of a relaxed hierarchy. Still others believed that the decision had been too close. In spite of that, Sheila's only regrets were her failure to achieve greater success for the team, rather than the decisions she made toward that end. She had always seen those who sought the approval of others as weak-willed, and believed that standing by one's principles was of the utmost importance for a leader, even if said principles proved unpopular.

Sheila still hoped that Koala Forest would win, even in spite of her often being at odds with Touka. In spite of that, she also had some idea of what Nodoka was going through, and could not hope for her success on at least some level, even if she did not end up winning the match.

_"Haramura, regardless of whether Nishizumi chose to do so, or whether circumstances forced this upon her, she gave you a great opportunity to prove yourself," _Sheila thought. _"The least you can do is repay her trust in you."_

* * *

Nodoka was not the only person from Oarai who had essentially been given a promotion for this match. Yukari was in command of the Panzer IV as she accompanied Nodoka's tank on its retreat.

Inside the Panzer IV, Yukari desperately struggled to make commands from her limited vantage point as loader. Visibility was already somewhat poor on an armored tank with only a few viewing holes, but it was even harder from a position that was designed solely for the purpose of keeping the gun loaded, a task that Yukari could not forsake even in her new position.

She recalled how, in the first battle, the team had been in positions that they were not optimally suited for. Miho's talent for command was largely wasted on the simplistic and repetitive, albeit vitally important, role of loading shells. Hana struggled with driving at first, as she was not as quick of a learner as Mako was, and while she eventually became competent, she was unable to pull off the same feats that Mako could. In a similar sense, Yukari knew how to operate the gun, but never achieved the same mastery of it that Hana did. Saori, in spite of her initial confidence and luck, fell apart under pressure, with her having as much experience leading as she did in love; once the thin veneer of confidence she had was stripped away, nothing remained.

Now that their leader was gone, it fell on one of them to step out of their comfort zones and fill the gap, stretching themselves thin in the process. Those with less knowledge of tankery than Yukari had were forced to take up multiple roles at once; Sodoko, Saro, Shizuru and Anzu were gunners as well as commanders, largely because their circumstances had dictated it. They had risen to the circumstances admirably, all things considered, and Yukari was determined to do the same.

Hana fired and disabled a Matilda II with a well-placed shot to the side. In spite of Yukari's multitasking reducing her loading speed, she was pleased that Hana could make each shot count, ensuring that they would be able to fight well against the enemy.

Unfortunately, that was the last shell the Panzer IV fired in the battle. As Yukari reached for the next shell, Touka's Sentinel fired. The shell struck the Panzer IV in the side, and caused it to throw up the white flag.

Yukari had fought as hard as she could, but now her part in the battle as Miho's replacement as Anglerfish Team's commander had ended. She knew that she was not yet ready to lead as well as Miho had, but wished she had been able to accomplish more. To her, it was something she owed her team, and covering Miho's responsibility, so she could not be satisfied with this outcome.

_"I'm sorry, Nishizumi-dono," _Yukari thought. _"I did my best, but it wasn't enough."_

As the pounding of the shells finished and the dust and smoke cleared, a new cover emerged- smoke from the tanks. The remaining Oarai forces made their escape and separated into two groups, hoping to get another strike on the Koala Forest forces.

"We've spotted the flag tank, Acting Commander," Erwin said, as the StuG emerged from the smoke with the Porsche Tiger and the M3 Lee.

"Excellent, Erwin-senpai," Nodoka said. "Take Leopon and Rabbit Team and pursue them. We'll handle these forces"

The team had split into two and both teams had their tasks; one would focus on defending their flag tank, and the other would focus on attacking the enemy's. Failure on one front would likely spell doom for the entire team's efforts, so there was little margin for error.

* * *

In Ayumu's room, Miyuki noticed that her friend's mood, as well as her condition, seemed to be improved as she saw the battle going in her school's favor.

"What did I tell you, Ayumu?" Miyuki said. "The commander and the others could handle things on their own."

Ayumu nodded with cautious enthusiasm, tempered by her illness and the fact that even if they ended up winning, she could not claim to have played a direct role in making it happen.

"I'm certainly hoping that Touka-sama and the others do," Ayumu said. "If we make it into the semifinals, I will have an opportunity to make up for my absence today."

Miyuki gave an amused sigh.

"You tankery girls certainly try hard," Miyuki said. "What makes you try so hard? Because you want to win? Is it out of a sense of duty? Is it for your friends? Or might it be for Touka-sama's case?"

Ayumu blushed slightly; since Miyuki typically called Touka "the commander" when talking about the team, and called her "Ryuumonbuchi-san," the few times they had spoken, Ayumu knew that "Touka-sama" was used solely for teasing her about her relationship with Touka.

"I'd say a little bit of each, Miyuki-san," Ayumu said. "We're expected to do our best, but we also _want_ to win, for its own sake, for the sake of our friends on the team, and, in the case of some, for the sake of a special someone. I'm sure the same goes for Oarai, which is why they've been trying so hard without their commander. But we have goals of our own, which is why I hope Touka-sama will prevail."

* * *

In the hospital, Miho sat, watching the match. Oarai had inflicted some losses on the enemy, but had taken casualties, and their plans had been thrown into disarray. A nurse glanced at the television as she passed through, and a married couple, waiting for news about their son, sat watching the match as a way to pass the time, but none of the three understood the significance it had for the girls sitting nearby.

"Things are looking somewhat grim," Miho said.

"Not necessarily any more than some of your matches, Miho," Maho said. "This is the first time you're looking at one from an outsider's perspective, after all."

"That makes sense, Onee-chan," Miho said. "While we never took victory for granted, we were constantly working on how to counter our opponent, and it's harder to see that from this vantage point. We sometimes run into situations in which we're at a disadvantage and have to retreat, like Nodoka-san did just now. And there may come times when we go into battles we just can't win."

Maho nodded. Oarai had been defeated by BC Freedom in its first tankery match with another school. While Oarai had managed to triumph over BC Freedom in the rematch, that did not erase the reality that Oarai was not invincible, even after it had become stronger. Of course, neither was Miho's former school, as she herself had proved the previous year.

"There are those with similar attitudes, even at Black Forest," Maho said, "After the finals two years ago, one of my yearmates approached me. She'd heard about the school's tankery record, but she didn't take it for granted the way everyone else did, and wasn't as bothered by losing. Unfortunately, she transferred out soon after you did, finding the atmosphere too unpleasant." Maho paused as Miho took in the information without giving any indication that it sounded amiliar. "Did I tell you this before?"

"You may have, Onee-chan, but in any case, I appreciate hearing it again," Miho said. "I've known for a while that there were people who thought I did the right thing, but I haven't heard as many people who also question Black Forest's win streak."

"It's not an idea that is easily discussed among Black Forest," Maho said, "but all but the most zealous proponents of the Nishizumi style find it difficult to deny the truth of it. The Nishizumi style dictates that facing misfortune can make one stronger, but I believe failure and defeat are some of those misfortunes."

"I know," Miho said. "Perhaps someday, we will be defeated, an experience that will force us pick ourselves up and get stronger, and which will be good for us in the long term. But I believe this is an important match for our school, and hope Nodoka-san will be able to prevail, show ingeveryone she can lead us well in the future."

Maho nodded.

"For what it's worth, Miho, so do I," Maho said, as their attention turned back to the match.

* * *

By this point, Oarai's two groups had finished separating. Half of the group- consisting of Octopus, Sparrow and Turtle Teams, fled and defended against Touka's advance. The other half of the group- consisting of Hippo, Leopon and Rabbit Teams- pursued the Koala Forest flag tank.

Touka, accompanied by the largest portion of her remaining tanks, pursued the Tas and fired on it. While a part of Touka was naturally impatient and cursed Oarai's ability to protect its flag tank and prolong the game, another part realized that Oarai was now fighting back more effectively. Perhaps Koala Forest's most effective window of opportunity had closed, and the thought was highly disturbing to Touka. She thought highly of her own skills, but did not think herself invincible, and so moved to end the match as soon as possible.

"Hajime, we are going to pursue Oarai's flag tank," Touka said. "Catch up with them as quickly as possible. Koromo, relay the orders to the others in the attack group."

"Affirmative," Koromo said with a fierce grin.

"Um, Touka..." Hajime said.

"NOW!" Touka said forcefully, with none of the grace typically associated with her, and in a direct tone that was a far cry from her formal and eloquent speech. The battle was raging, and she had lost herself to it.

Hajime let off a soft sigh.

_"It's started," _Tomoki thought. _"Touka's usually a calm and calculating strategist, but when her ego and lust for glory get the better of her, she tends to overextend herself and make rookie mistakes. That's part of the reason why she lost against me online."_

Tomoki glanced at Jun, who simply shrugged.

_"I may not be an expert in family traits, but there's no doubt about it," _Jun thought. _"Koromo really is Touka's cousin."_

Touka gritted her teeth as she set her eyes on Oarai's flag tank. To her, it was unacceptable that Miho's second choice for commander could outdo her, the best Koala Forest had to offer. She would put an end to this match as soon as possible and prove her superiority herself.

* * *

As Hisa and Mihoko watched the match, Mihoko stared at the screen, both her eyes open in surprise.

"Is something wrong, Mihoko?" Hisa said.

"Surely you've noticed it, Hisa?" Mihoko said. "Ryuumonbuchi-san is not leading as she did against Shoumei-san. Is it possible that they had a change of command, just like Oarai did?"

Hisa shook her head.

"That's a reasonable guess, Mihoko," Hisa said, "but we saw Ryuumonbuchi-san at the opening ceremony, and the Sentinel with the number 13's still in the game. She's still in charge of Koala Forest."

"Oh," Mihoko said. "But what do you suppose is causing this change in tactics?"

Hisa paused to consider her answer. While tankery strategies had to vary based on the opponent, the battlefield and other circumstances, most commanders and teams had certain tactics that they tended to rely on more than others. In spite of that, no two people, even those in the same school of thought, responded in the same way to all circumstances.

"I'd say a person's personality and current disposition play a great role in tankery," Hisa said. "The former tends to influence one's style of command, while the latter often affects how they do in any given scenario. All the advice people give you about getting a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast before a test really applies to anything major you do that requires a lot of preparation, and games like tankery are no exception."

"That makes sense," Mihoko said. "So why do you think Ryuumonbuchi-san is losing herself in this moment? Is it because of who she is or where she is now?"

Hisa shrugged.

"I really can't say without knowing her well," Hisa said. "But I'd like to think that Nodoka has put up more of a fight than anyone else Ryuumonbuchi-san has faced as commander thus far. One thing's for certain; Nodoka won't go down as easily as Ryuumonbuchi-san thinks"

* * *

Touka's forces closed in on Octopus Team and its protectors; at this point, only Sparrow Team remained, as Nodoka had sent Turtle Team away to try to find another angle from which to attack the enemy. The Koala Forest team was more accustomed to desert combat, so they more easily traversed the sand and narrowed the gap between them and Touka.

The Matilda pulled up alongside the Cromwell at close range, taking Sparrow Team in their sights. The former mahjong club quickly responded in kind, and fired a relatively hasty shot as the Matilda's gunner finished aiming carefully and fired, resulting in two simultaneous blasts and explosions. Rushed as it was, the Cromwell's shot did its job as well as the Matilda's, and both tanks threw up the white flag.

"Thats about all of them," Nodoka said. "The commander's Sentinel should be the only one left. Mikado-senpai, are you in position?"

"Yes, ma'am," Shizuru said. "We are taking aim at the enemy Sentinel."

Unbeknownst to Touka, the Hetzer was aiming at them from a small dune, and fired on them. They believed they were unlikely to defeat the enemy at this range, but sought to do what they could to disable their opponent. As such, Shizuru took careful aim at the Sentinel's tracks, and fired, hoping it would be the crucial advantage Nodoka needed to stay in the game long enough to finish them off.

As the Hetzer's shell struck Touka's tracks, the cannon's aim was thrown off, and the shell missed the Tas.

Touka let off a sigh of relief. The way events were unfolding seemed vaguely similar to what had happened to Hajime in the past, or at least, what Hajime had told her before. Touka refused to accept what was happening, but found the idea of Hajime once again being burdened by her guilt to be even worse.

_"I'm loath to admit it, but the enemy's accuracy is exceptional," _Touka thought. _"Hajime, I doubt you could have evaded this, so do not blame yourself."_

"Sorry, Touka," Tomoki said, as Jun began loading the next shell.

"I have no need for apologies!" Touka said. "What I need is for you to hit Haramura Nodoka before we-"

Touka's desperate orders were cut off by a strong blast that shook the tank. As the Sentinel was reloading, Saki quickly took aim and shot the enemy tank in its turret, causing a massive explosion that sheared off the Sentinel's main gun barrel and forced up the white flag.

"Damn those meddlesome Oarai girls!" Touka shouted in frustration. "Why must they persist, even after all the losses we have inflicted?"

"They too, have all sorts of people in their ranks," Tomoki said. "From gamers to student council members, they have separate interests, united under a common goal, not unlike our crew. Nishizumi Miho's crew seemed to have a similarly diverse mix of individuals."

"Yeah, but a large part of why they want to win revolves around one person this time," Hajime said. "They want to keep going and win for Nishizumi-san's sake."

"What, you weren't expecting that?" Jun said jokingly before turning serious. "She's their commander, but she's also _one of them_, after all. All for one and one for all, as they say."

Koromo reeled in surprise, not at what she heard, but at the idea that things could be that simple as far as tankery teams went. She had heard the idea expressed before, but never with such sincerity. It was an idea she had considered before, and certainly wanted to believe was the case, but now, she realized that she no longer had any reason to doubt that her cousin, her other crewmates, or the rest of the team thought her as anything less than a friend or comrade.

Koromo looked around the interior of the tank, and saw that her friends were unharmed, glad for that even though she knew the safety features significantly reduced the risk of injury. Before long, a Dragon Wagon would be dispatched and take her off the field, enabling her to watch the rest of the match, but also giving her a great deal of time to think about what she had just realized. Her goals, as well as those of her friends, would be entrusted in the hands of those they barely had known before now, but she trusted them as more than just teammates, but as comrades.

One thought came through Koromo's mind, simple yet clear.

_"Koromo was never alone,"_ Koromo thought.

Touka noticed Koromo's epiphany, and how she no longer looked at her crewmates as strangers trying to help her for their own reasons, but as her cousin and their mutual friends.

_"Koromo... you've finally realized it,"_ Touka thought, with a warm smile that gave way to a triumphant smirk. _"But this battle has not finished yet. Do not forget that for an instant, Haramura Nodoka!"_

* * *

In the hospital waiting room, Miho let off a sigh of relief as Touka's tank was taken out of the game. By this point, the married couple had been called out of the waiting room.

"Nodoka-san pulled through," Miho said, relieved.

"Indeed, Miho," Maho said, pleased. "But while your friend may have escaped being taken out and defeated Koala Forest's commander in the process, there's still more enemies to deal with, and their flag tank remains elusive."

"I know, Onee-chan," Miho said. "Even when things were desperate for me, I've always had to not only struggle to stave off defeat, but keep thinking of how I could turn the tide and secure victory. If I didn't do the former, I would have lost, but if I didn't keep at least some of my focus on the latter task, I wouldn't have been able to win."

Maho nodded. She was well aware of having to deal with multiple difficult tasks as a commander, especially one who followed the Nishizumi doctrine, and she realized that Miho's tasks were, in some ways, more demanding than hers. In spite of how heavy Miho's burden often was, Miho did not think of it as one forced upon her, and found it easier to bear.

"That's quite a test of a commander's skill," Maho said. "I often find that the battles in which I learn the most are the ones that don't go according to plan, like the match with Pravda last year, and, of course, my battle with your school. I may have failed to win the tournament for the past two years, but I feel as though I've become a better tanker in the process."

Miho nodded.

"That's true," Miho said, "but this isn't only for my sake or Nodoka-san's sake. It's fo the team's future, so I hope that we will able to triumph today and show what we can do under unfavorable circumstances, and with those who will one day lead the team."

* * *

Ayumu, watching her commander's tank get taken out after an almost successful attack on the enemy flag tank, paled in shock.

"Touka-sama..." she said, before coughing violently a few times.

Miyuki turned to her friend, concerned. Ayumu's condition had improved somewhat and she was keeping down her lunch, but if Koala Forest lost now, she would be burdened with a sense of guilt that would remain for some time after she had recovered from her illness.

"It's not over yet, Ayumu," Miyuki said. "Your team's doing their best without you, as is everyone else. Even if Oarai won the championship last year, we won't lose _this_ easily to them."

Ayumu nodded. Part of her role for the team was helping to oversee training of the Koala Forest team, including the underclassmen. She hoped to show Touka's predecessor that true potential in the team did not lie in its leadership, but in its people, especially those Sheila had marginalized. Perhaps Koala Forest's current commander was no longer on the field, but it still had several of its tanks, a force potentially large and strong enough to turn the tide against Oarai.

* * *

Elsewhere, Erwin's division continued pursuing the flag tank, a Matilda II that Touka's vice-captain would have commanded, had she been present, across a plateau near a somewhat rocky area. In spite of the relatively limited area to maneuver, the enemy flag tank was skillfully avoiding the shots made against it.

"The Queen of the Desert, in her natural habitat," Erwin said with a smile. "I wonder what the real Erwin Rommel would think of this battle."

As the Matilda II began its descent, it turned backward and struck the StuG as it crested the hill, causing it to raise a white flag. But the Porsche Tiger continued its pursuit, coming after it.

Rabbit Team fired and took out an AC II Sentinel, one gun blowing off the tracks and the other landing squarely in the back of the tank.

"This is Rabbit Team," Azusa said. "We took out one of their tanks, but the flag tank's getting farther and farther ahead. Orders?"

"Head to point N43," Nodoka said without hesitation. "See if you can set up an ambush for the tanks, while Leopon Team pursues them." She then opened a channel to Leopon Team. "Leopon Team, how are you holding up? Can you continue pursuing them?"

"We can, Acting Commander," Tsuchiya said. "But we've also got a shot right now."

Nodoka smiled, not having heard such confidence from Tsuchiya since the junior member of the Auto Club had become its commander, taking on a promotion and new responsibility that were not unlike hers.

"I see," Nodoka said. "Then, by all means, please take it."

Tsuchiya nodded.

"Affirmative," she said over the radio to Nodoka before turning to her crew. "Get ready, girls!"

Her three subordinates eagerly complied, as the flag tank began hastily climbing a dune, enabling them to close the gap with their target as the commander struggled to give orders to her crew, who had never worked under her before.

In the end, the three newcomers from Leopon Team had the same thoughts on their minds as they pursued the flag tank.

The engine was taxed almost to its limit and belched steam, but their skills had improved through their struggles with it, and they were able to keep in the game, as well as in motion. But even if it held out, it would only be a matter of time before the enemy troops arrived to help the flag tank, and they would likely only have one shot before that happened.

The newcomers briefly pondered how they knew why the enemy vice-captain was not here, but why were they here at the moment? Why did they continue doing tankery in spite of their initial reluctance?

_"Whatever the circumstances may be, we're here because we choose to be,"_ Goto thought.

_"Whether operating or repairing, or cars or tanks, we give it our all," _Rokubungi thought.

_"We work hard for our club members, in the auto club or the tank team,"_ Nanami thought.

_"Time to do our best!"_ the three of them thought together.

The Porsche Tiger surged over the dune, drifting downhill and catching up to the flag tank. Rokubungi swiftly loaded a shell, and Nanami caught the flag tank in her sights and fired.

The Porsche Tiger's shot struck true, striking the tank in the back, just as it was cresting the dune ahead. It was a long way away, but the powerful 88 mm shell was easily able to penetrate the Matilda II's rear armor. Smoke and dust rose from the impact site, along with a cloud of sand, but the fact that the flag tank had not returned fire was all the indication the auto club needed to show that they'd succeeded in taking it out.

The white flag rose on the Matilda II.

"Oarai wins the match!" the announcer said.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I'd like to thank Stalker117 and KMT4ever for beta reading this.

I'd also like to thank Stellar Magic and Kao Vamp for the ideas for Koala Forest's tanks, as well as severstal for showing me the magazine with Koala Forest's lineup.

This chapter represents a test for Oarai, one that they have just recently passed. Nodoka has succeeded in leading without Miho, not only proving her worth, but also proving that Oarai's strength is not solely because of Miho, and they have the ability to continue on without her.

It's also a turning point for the new Leopon Team, showing the start of their getting accustomed to their tank, and starting to use it to its full capabilities.

Touka also makes an interesting foil to Mihoko, Oarai's previous quarterfinals opponent, in that both have notable similarities and differences. The two of them are well-bred girls who care for their subordinates a great deal, and took over after the departure of their largely disliked predecessors. But while Mihoko is humble, reserved, polite, and sometimes insecure, Touka is arrogant, loud, often rude and exceptionally confident, albeit still largely a good person at heart.

At this point, we're about halfway through the tournament, and Necessary to Keep Winning (at least in terms of chapters; some of the later chapters may be shorter).

**Character Analysis: Ayumu Sugino**

Ayumu isn't a very major player in Saki. In the anime, where she debuts, she's Touka's maid, and an alternate player for the Ryuumonbuchi team in case Koromo can't make it.

Ayumu was implemented somewhat late in the writing process here, to actually show the person who was replaced. That she doesn't appear in Touka's Interlude along with the rest of Touka's crew is neither an accident nor a result of her late implementation, but a reflection of her status. She's not quite in Touka's circle of friends, since, as a maid in training for the family as well as Touka's subordinate on the tankery team, she can't quite think of Touka as a friend, per se, not unlike the way Kikuyo thinks of Miho (although each maid-mistress pair has a considerably different dynamic).

But in spite of their differences in station, Ayumu does want to help Touka, and is disappointed when she's not well enough to do so. Unlike Miho, she does not have a choice, and worse, unlike Miho, the match does not end favorably for her. These results are disheartening for Ayumu, but knowing what she wants to do and having the support of her teammates will enable her to bounce back and try again once she is healthy.


	22. No Regrets

**Chapter 16: No Regrets**

As Koala Forest witnessed their defeat at the hands of Oarai from the side of the field, Touka let out a shriek of frustration and anger and stomped the ground, her uniform's boot kicking up sand.

Hajime let off a soft nervous laugh. This reaction was par for the course from the irascible Touka. While Touka found defeat frustrating, she had little anger toward her foes, and even less toward her comrades. Hajime was disappointed, but glad that she could hone her skills and try again without being scapegoated for the loss.

"Oarai prevailed yet again!" Touka said. "Even without that vexatious Nishizumi Miho, they succeeded! And the decisive blow on our flag tank went to that unreliable tank's crew after all!"

"Stranger things have happened," Tomoki said flatly.

"I get where you're coming from, Touka," Jun said. "But even if you don't have to like losing, you have to admit, that match was fun."

"Indubitably," Touka said. "It may be better to win, but coming this far was worthwhile for this match alone. Do you not agree, Koromo?"

Koromo, however, remained staring off into space, before turning back to Touka.

"I'd like to see Nonoka again after the match," Koromo said. "I have something I would like to tell her."

* * *

In the stands, Sheila watched the outcome, no more sure of her feelings than she was during the match.

A part of her wanted to chide Touka for her failure, and for a performance that was not up to her victory over St. Gloriana. While she resented how her teammates derided her as being overly heavy-handed and strict in her leadership, she had to concede that she enjoyed putting the arrogant Touka in her place.

In spite of that, Sheila realized that she could not be overly hard on Touka, even considering that Touka was no longer her subordinate. She not only had not predicted Nodoka's victory in this situation, but had also blundered into a trap when facing Pravda in this round the previous year, and thus had little room to talk when it came to scolding Touka for her mistakes. Perhaps Sheila's heavy-handed style of leadership and disregard for precedent was no less arrogant than Touka's lack of respect for her.

Sheila sighed. She found it difficult to admit her own fallibility to herself, especially that she was not entirely superior to Touka. It was also difficult for her to admit that she would not necessarily have succeeded if she had been in charge, or that Koala Forest could not defeat Nodoka, much less Miho. Sheila had pushed her team hard out of the believe that they could achieve success beyond what most thought them capable of. Perhaps Touka had that mindset as well; she was certainly confident enough to think so.

_"I suppose neither of us has all the answers, Ryuumonbuchi," _Sheila thought.

* * *

Hisa and Mihoko finished watching the match, smiling and applauding as they witnessed Oarai's victory.

"It seems Haramura-san pulled through this time," Mihoko said. "I'm glad she did, for your school's sake and for Nishizumi-san's sake."

"Miho chose to trust in her friends, rather than force herself to lead during what was a personal crisis," Hisa said. "Her gamble paid off in the end, so it seems she, too, succeeds when the odds are against her."

"She has that in common with you, Hisa," Mihoko said. "I'm not sure if it's in her nature, or because her school has to try so hard in order to defeat enemies that outnumber and overpower them."

"That's only part of it, Mihoko," Hisa said. ""I'd also say that Miho's style of leadership is not entirely different from what you've been practicing. She cares for her subordinates, sees their potential, and hopes to one day entrust the team's future to the younger members, rather than seeing them as beneath her."

"Indeed," Mihoko said. "Still, I do have to wonder what it is I lack, and why I have not had the same success as Nishizumi-san."

"Well, we can figure it out together," Hisa said. "For now, when Nodoka and the others have a minute, let's give them our congratulations, and ask Nodoka to pass along our sympathies to Miho."

Mihoko nodded. Finding the ideal way to lead was an ongoing process, and there was no universal answer. But Mihoko knew that because she owed her help to those under her command, and they would become her team's future, she would always put them first, and lead for their sake, both well and compassionately. With one of her closest friends at her side, she felt confident she could find the answer.

* * *

The post-game ceremony followed, with both Oarai and Koala Forest exchanging bows.

"Well fought, Haramura Nodoka," Touka said, extending her hand for a handshake. "I had once thought you to be a paltry substitute for my most esteemed rival, but I now know that you are one of those opponents worthy of my attentions. The least I can owe you is to be magnanimous in defeat- and hope I will be afforded the same courtesy when I triumph against you next year."

"Thank you," Nodoka said, as she shook her opponent's hand. "Koala Forest put up a good fight today."

Koromo then turned to Nodoka.

"Haramura Nonoka?" Koromo said. "When Koromo faced you, she realized something important. All of Koromo's crewmates, Touka especially, have been there for Koromo all along. As we struggled desperately to vanquish you, we did so together."

Nodoka smiled and nodded. Oarai's victory against Koala Forest belonged to all of the members of the team- Nodoka's friends and those who were mere acquaintances, the veterans and the amateurs, and those who had mastered tankery and those who had struggled. Nodoka saw each of them as a comrade in a sense, believing that none of them were simply being kept around out of pity or because the team needed them to go on, and was glad Koromo had realized this as well.

"I'm glad to hear you understood this, Koromo," Nodoka said, reflexively using the name Koromo used to refer to herself. "But how did you realize this?"

"An epiphany in the middle of battle," Koromo said, "from witnessing your struggles and struggling hard in turn. Perhaps the truth was this simple all along, and it helped me realize this."

Little pleased Nodoka more than when someone not only enjoyed tankery, but found it meaningful, so she smiled warmly, reminded of why Saki had chosn to do it again.

"A friend of mine- Miyanaga Saki- taught me how you can communicate to others through tankery," Nodoka said. "I'll have to introduce you to her some time."

"Koromo would be most appreciative," Koromo said.

"As would I," Touka said. "I hope to meet this friend of yours, as well as Nishizumi Miho."

"I hope to face the two of you and your school again," Nodoka said. "Perhaps I may officially be commander at that time."

"Great!" Koromo said. "Koromo's excited to see what you'll do in the future, Nonoka!"

"I will continue on as commander next year as well," Touka said. "And when I face you once again, I will not be defeated, desu wa!"

"I'll try not to disappoint you, Koromo," Nodoka said with a smile. "The same goes for you, um..." she said, as she turned to Touka.

"Ryuumonbuchi Touka!" Touka said, mildly irritated, but she could not help but smile once she had finished. She had gained a worthy rival, and Koromo had gained another friend. "We wish you the best of luck, and send our condolences to Nishizumi Miho."

"Thank you," Nodoka said. "I hope your vice-captain gets well soon."

As Touka walked off, she was mostly pleased with how things had turned out. She had been defeated, but Koromo finally beginning to open up to her cousin and her teammates was pleasant enough for her to forget that.

However, for a moment, Touka's mind turned to one member of her crew who could not be there for the match.

_"I hope that Ayumu is not disheartened by this," _Touka thought. _"Perhaps she thinks it improper to call herself my friend, but surely concern over her well-being would not be unbecoming of someone such as myself."_

* * *

Ayumu and Miyuki watched the conclusion of the match, having remained silent ever since its outcome.

"I wasn't expecting this," Ayumu said. "Touka-sama never took defeats this gracefully in the past."

"I don't know if it's that surprising," Miyuki said. "The commander isn't the type who demands that heads roll when the team loses."

"Maybe not," Ayumu said, "but Touka-sama is a passionate and stubborn person who fervently pursues her desires and gets quite upset when she fails to get what she wants. So... is it possible that she somehow got what she wanted this time?"

Miyuki could only shrug, wondering why Ayumu would ask this question of someone who barely knew Touka at all.

"You don't know?" Miyuki said.

Ayumu sadly sighed and shook her head before coughing faintly.

"Sadly, no," Ayumu said. "I'm not privy to the intricate details of Touka-sama's family, even if I will one day work for them. Touka-sama does not trust me the same way she does Kunihiro-san and the others on her team. As much as I hope to become worthy of that trust, all I can do is be there for her now, as her subordinate, and as any friend might do."

Miyuki nodded, pleased. Those sentiments had fueled her desire to help her sick friend and perhaps they would help Ayumu move forward while understanding what was most important to her no matter how complicated her position was.

* * *

The Haramuras watched the end of the game, pleased at their daughter's accomplishment, and got up to leave, planning on congratulating Nodoka and watching her next match. As they did, they encountered some of Nodoka's old friends, who were also on their way out.

"Akado-sensei?" Kei said. He remembered that he had met Harue during a parent-teacher conference. While Nodoka's participation in the tankery club had been the subject of the conversation, for the sake of politeness, he had not mentioned his distaste of tankery.

"It's been a while, Haramura-san," Harue said. "I'd like to congratulate your daughter on her victory."

"Thank you," Kei said. "To be honest, though, it was not something that I would have thought of as an accomplishment until recently."

Arata paused, wondering how to politely word what she had to say, while helping a relative outsider to tankery understand.

"To be perfectly honest, sir," Arata said, "it's sometimes difficult to understand the perspective of someone in a position of high authority until you hold that authority yourself. Since I was appointed commander last year, around the time I met and became friends with Nodoka, I have started to gain an appreciation of what it means to be in charge of an entire team, and be responsible for its successes... and failures."

Kei pondered what Arata had said. He had long presumed to know enough about tankery, and believed that it was nothing more than a waste of time, but the more he learned, the less certain he was in what he already knew. At this point, Arata's description seemed more convincing than what he had told himself in the past, so he saw no point in contesting it.

"Fair enough," Kei said. "Now that I think about it, though, I don't believe I met you or her," he continued, gesturing at Yuu.

"Sagimori Arata," Arata said. "This is Matsumi Yuu-san, a friend of mine and Kuro's older sister. The two of us only recently met and became friends with Nodoka, as a result of meeting her again through last year's tournament."

Kei nodded, understanding well enough what Arata was saying. He had met Kuro before, and thus knew what it meant for Nodoka to see her and the rest of her friends again, as well as become closer to Kuro's sister and friend.

"I see," Kei said. "My wife and I must be going, but it's nice to meet you two."

"Yes," Reiko said. "It's an honor to meet you, Sagimori-san, Matsumi-san. I'm glad to see you again, Akado-sensei, Atarashi-san, Takakamo-san."

As the couple and the teacher and students parted ways, Kei 's mind turned to the people his daughter had met and the experiences she had through tankery. He now knew why she had tried so hard to keep on doing tankery, and why she refused to be separated from those whom she had met through it. There were many things about tankery that he still did not understand, and believed he never would without participating in it, but he believed he knew enough to truly understand and appreciate why Nodoka did tankery, and what she gained from doing so.

_"It looks like tankery changed your life for the better, after all, Nodoka," _Kei thought.

* * *

Elsewhere, Miho watched the battle end on a television in the hospital lobby, and let off a sigh of relief. In the short term, her decision had worked out for the best, as she could see to her family while her team triumphed. In the long term, Oarai's tankery team would be in good hands with Nodoka as a leader.

_"Thank you for coming through for me, Nodoka-san, Yukari-san,"_ Miho thought. _"Well done once again, everyone."_

"Your friends did quite well, Miho," Maho said. "It seems as though you have a good group of students to carry on your team after you graduate."

"I agree, Onee-chan," Miho said, pleased. She also understood the implications of what her sister was saying; having graduated, she had to entrust her team to her juniors. Black Forest was a school Maho had attended as part of her duty as Nishizumi heiress, but she still hoped for its success. "But what about you?

"Black Forest is striving hard, and trying to rise above its past defeats," Maho said. "Their match against Chihatan was closer than the one I had against them, but their determination is much the same as usual."

"I thought so," Miho said. "Black Forest seems to attract many skilled, confident and determined individuals. Two consecutive failures to win the tournament are shocking, but not enough to crush their spirits."

Maho nodded. Miho always had a certain level of respect and awe for Black Forest and the Nishizumi school, in spite of her disagreements with them. Miho's goal had never been to knock either off their pedestals, but to prove the validity of her own way of tankery. That goal was one that Maho and the rest of Miho's friends, even those at Black Forest, hoped she would accomplish, and they wholeheartedly cheered on her efforts toward that end.

"Still, perhaps you or someone else will triumph over them again this year," Maho said. "And that would, at least in my eyes, be a good thing."

Shiho then entered the lobby. As she noticed the results of the math on the television, she gave the faintest hint of a smile.

"So it seems your school triumphed once again, Miho," Shiho said. "You were right; your team could succeed against Koala Forest."

"Thank you, Mother," Miho said.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Mother," Maho said. "But if you happened on the victory announcement by chance, I suppose that's not why you're here."

"No, it isn't," Shiho said. "I came to tell you that the surgery was successful, and your father's condition is now stable."

Miho let out a sigh of relief. The news would have come too late to be of any help to her in the match, but it was still pleasing to hear. Miho, who still remembered the time when she was at risk of being cast out of the family- a risk she believed she might one day have to face again- saw any news indicating that their family would be able to stay together as good news. Perhaps she would have to wait a long time for the news, but she could take solace in the more pleasant news.

* * *

The Nishizumis waited several hours to hear news, going out to have dinner at a restaurant near the hospital. The meal was mostly quiet, save for the occasional discussion of the match with Koala Forest.

Several hours after the end of the match, Miho and Maho walked into their father's hospital room, where he was lying in bed. His leg was in a cast, his chest and head were bandaged, and he did not seem entirely aware of his surroundings. His sister Koharu sat nearby, and stood up to greet Shiho.

"I'm glad to see you all here," Homura said.

Shiho let out an audible sigh of relief, and her expression softened for a moment.

The group discussed Homura's condition for a few minutes. Before long, though, the conversation shifted to how long Homura was unconscious and what day it was, and Homura immediately remembered the day's significance.

"Again, I'm grateful that you came to see me, Miho," Homura said. "But, unless I am mistaken, isn't your match with Koala Forest today?"

Maho took the initiative to speak. She felt more comfortable speaking out in favor of Miho's actions, and believed that, even if she was stating the facts, it would be more easily accepted coming from her mouth.

"Oarai just defeated Koala Forest, Father," Maho said. "Miho had to leave, but made preparations beforehand, just like we did when we attended Grandmother's funeral. She knew that she wouldn't be up to commanding, but wanted to do her best to ensure that her team would succeed in her absence."

"I see," Homura said. "In that case, your team did quite well in your absence."

"Thank you, Father," Miho said. "How are you feeling?"

"As the doctors most likely told you, my leg is broken, but while I while I was unconscious for some time, I do not have any permanent damage that they can see," Homura said. "I will likely have to take a leave of absence from work for some time while I recover and go through physical therapy."

Miho and Maho nodded solemnly, noticing more frustration in their father's tone over how long he would be incapacitated, than over the injuries he had suffered. The news was unpleasant, but they had prepared themselves for worse news.

"The long and short of it is that I will be here for a while," Homura said. "Miho, Maho, you should be getting back to school. Koharu, your team needs you as well."

"Yes, Father," the Nishizumi sisters said.

"I understand, Nii-san," Koharu said.

"You should also get back to work, dear," Homura said. "If all I can do is stay here and recover, the least I can do is not cause trouble for you or anyone else."

"I will, dear," Shiho said, more gravely than her usual dispassionate tone. "Let's keep in touch when we can."

Shiho and the others walked out of the hotel room, with Shiho at the lead. As they passed through the door, though, Shiho took one last look into her husband's hospital room.

Miho and Maho glanced at their mother, then at each other, in surprise, but said nothing.

* * *

As the women of the Nishizumi family walked through the corridors of the hospital, Miho turned to her mother.

"Even at a time like this, when he's injured badly, Father still worries about our family and our school?" Miho said.

"That's the kind of man your father is, Miho," Shiho said, "the kind who would marry into the Nishizumis, and one of the few who understands my sort of devotion. And now, he's unable to play the role he chose for himself. He's quite frustrated at this turn of events, but he chooses to do what he can to bear with it."

Koharu nodded in agreement with her sister-in-law.

"My brother has always been this way," Koharu said. "He has always believed that any great undertaking requires the support of many people to succeed, and having married into the Nishizumi family, believes that family members, most of all, should do their part."

Shiho silently concurred, but then her expression turned uncomfortable.

"I rely on a great many people for the success of the Nishizumi school," Shiho said. "Your father has supported me across the years. My assistants help with teaching. My students, by succeeding, uphold the honor of our family name. My maids help with the housework. And Maho will one day succeed me. They have given their all, and it is my duty to lead them well."

For a moment, Miho pondered what her mother and aunt had said. To some degree, their disagreement with her actions made a certain amount of sense, because she was not contributing to the school to which they had devoted their lives. But Miho had met many people over the years, with different kinds of families, who saw their children as more than mere means by which they could achieve their goals. The Akiyamas did not expect Yukari to follow in their footsteps as a hairdresser, Yuri had come to accept her daughter's decision to do tankery, and Masae would only allow one of her daughters to inherit her school if she proved willing and able to do so.

While in the past, Miho felt unable to argue against her mother due to not having achieved anything similar to what the Nishizumi school had, that was now no longer the case, as Miho's school full of unlikely individuals had triumphed against those who overpowered, outnumbered or looked down on them. Miho had made this possible, but it did not come from her ability alone, so she felt compelled to speak on behalf of all those who had helped, supported and fought alongside her.

"So do I, Mother," Miho said. "And it turns out many of those people who help me are not those that the Nishizumi school would view as very impressive. But they achieve results well, and if any of them were not present and doing their best, I would not have gotten this far. And it's because all of them performed well today that they were able to win without me."

"I do understand that Oarai's strength does not flow solely from you, Miho," Shiho said. "Although I am curious to see how far it can go in the future with what it has. The Nishizumi school did not become the best in the nation overnight, but through repeated and consistent success, the efforts of many talented individuals, and a great deal of support in many forms."

"I know, Mother," Miho said, recalling what she heard of her mother's duties. "I hope to make my school even stronger, but, more importantly, ensure that it always stays true to itself."

"I wasn't thinking entirely of your school, Miho," Shiho said. "There's another strong school out there, a newcomer that is quickly making a name for itself. It would seem to be the optimal opponent for the Nishizumis to demonstrate their strength... but your school will face it before Black Forest can."

* * *

_Shortly after the match_

In a tankery cafe, Harue and Nodoka's friends sat at a table. Since Oarai had finished the match ahead of schedule, its tankers had some time to relax in town before heading back. The same went for the group from Saunders.

"Thanks for coming to eat with us, Nodoka," Harue said. "It's been a while."

"It certainly has, Akado-sensei," Nodoka said. "I don't believe I've seen you since the convention."

"Again, congratulations on winning, Nodoka," Ako said. "At least one of my friends won their match; I suppose you heard about Hatsuse's school getting eliminated by Pravda."

"I did," Nodoka said. "BC Freedom did better than last year, but they're still not quite up to Pravda's level."

"True, but you do have more immediate concerns, you know," Shizuno said. "You did well beating us last year, but... let's just say that you're not the only school to make a strong debut in tankery by defeating us."

"Ah, yes, your match with Rinkai," Nodoka said. "I watched it the night before Miho-senpai heard her news. As such, the upcoming match with Koala Forest overshadowed it, as did Miho-senpai's inability to attend."

* * *

_A few days ago_

The match between Saunders and Rinkai had grown desperate for the former. As a result of a feint by the T-34/76 under Hao's command, Saunders' forces were split in half, caught on opposite sides of a river. Nelly's SU-100 had destroyed the stone bridge, essentially cutting off the two sides, while Rinkai went to work on the half on the eastern side that had the Saunders flag tank.

As Arata's forces fought through the advancing Rinkai tanks, a shot from a Chaffee rang out, and a shell sailed through the air. It struck the Firefly under Himeko's command in the side, charring the turret and disabling it.

"Rinkai wins the match!" the announcer said.

Megan opened the top hatch and looked at the disabled Saunders flag tank. It had been a difficult shot for her crew to make, but they had secured the victory.

Megan then descended into her tank and turned to her crew.

"Good work, everyone," Megan said. "Especially you, Aislinn; that was a good shot."

"(Thanks, Meg,)" Aislinn said in English.

"Thank you very much, Davin-senpai," the radio operator, the youngest member of the group said. "And congratulations on the game-winning shot, Wisheart-senpai."

Aislinn smiled in gratitude while Megan chuckled.

"Well, I get that you all have differing standards of politeness, but if you want to call me 'Megan' or 'Meg,' you can feel free to do so," Megan said. "After all, we're friends, aren't we?"

The others smiled and nodded at Megan's invitation. Their commander was American, their gunner was from New Zealand, and the latter three- the driver, the loader and the radio operator- were, respectively, a third-year, a second-year transfer student and a first year. The five girls believed that without tankery, they never would have met each other, and were glad that they were not only able to become friends, but also become an effective team.

"Of course... Megan-senpai," the radio operator said, and the other two followed suit.

"Thanks, girls," Megan said. She had parted ways with her old friends under less than pleasant circumstances, but while she had her share of regrets, she was starting to move on, embracing her new school and turning her focus to the present.

After a moment, she radioed in to Satoha's tank.

"This is Tank 3 reporting in," Megan said over the radio. "We disabled the Saunders flag tank."

"Nicely done, Meg," Satoha said. "Head on back for the post-game."

"Understood," Megan said."And Satoha? Thank you for letting me do this, for giving me a chance to... make up for what happened at my last tournament."

Satoha knew about the incident in question Megan was describing- something that happened before Megan came to Rinkai, and played a part in her coming there.

"I don't 'give' people chances like this, Meg," Satoha said. "If you managed to take down the flag tank, it's because you followed my orders, found the opportunity and made the most of it yourself." Satoha smiled slightly. "The credit this time is yours."

Megan smiled and nodded. Her regret over the events that had happened a year ago had not fully abated, but she felt as though part of that weight had been taken off her shoulders and her confidence had been renewed. She had succeeded in helping Rinkai win a difficult match, so she felt as though she would be an asset to her school in the battles to come.

* * *

At the post-game ceremony, the commanders of all ten tanks from both sides met, with the commanders and vice-captains standing at the fore of each group..

"Thank you for the match," they said, while exchanging bows.

"So how was the match for you and your team, Sagimori-san?" Satoha said. "Your school was a step up from the ones we faced in our last two rounds."

"It's the second time in a row we'd lost to a newcomer," Arata said, slightly dejectedly. "I can understand a school like Oarai can defeat us and win the tournament, but I honestly thought we had improved since then..."

Satoha's stern expression softened upon hearing this.

"I certainly don't want you or anyone else to think of us as a team that you can't possibly defeat," Satoha said. "We believe we have the potential to win the tournament, and our goal is to do so, but we don't imagine our victory to be inevitable, and we don't want to crush the hopes of any would-be challengers, no matter how small or humble, and certainly not a school like yours."

"Did you know about Haru-chan... I mean, Akado-sensei 11 years ago, Tsujigaito-san?" Arata said.

Satoha shrugged. She did recall a somewhat close game back then, but not Harue's involvement in it. What was on her mind was Black Forest's defeats last year, the year before, and one year before Harue's match.

"I do know that there were people who triumphed against Black Forest before Nishizumi-san did, and there will be those those who will accomplish such feats in the future," Satoha said. "Maybe this year it'll be our turn, since if Oarai wins in the next match, we'll face them next, and if we defeat them, we'll fight Black Forest or Pravda."

Arata paused in tacit agreement while considering Satoha's words.

"That's a fair observation," Arata said. "But I do notice that you sound as though you're looking forward to that prospect."

Satoha and Emi nodded.

"I certainly do," Emi said. "Their commander's an old friend of mine. I'd like to be able to face her on the field of tankery battle."

Arata smiled. Before the tournament last year, Nodoka was a friend of a friend, much like she was with Shizuno and Ako. She had connected with the three girls, and learned about the efforts the Achiga girls had made to meet their friends again. Emi was now doing the same.

_"So my hopes couldn't come to fruition after all,"_ Arata thought. _"But it's not such a bad thing if these people's do."_

Arata extended her hand and Satoha took it.

"Well, then, Tsujigaito-san, I wish you the best in the tournament," Arata said, shaking hands with Satoha. "And Nakasuga-san, I'm glad to hear that you'll be facing your friend soon."

As Arata walked back to her team, she did so realizing that it was not such a bad thing that Rinkai had prevailed. Satoha's motivation was not unlike what Harue and many of the others in Saunders' tankery team had felt shortly after its inception, while Emi's was similar to that of Nodoka's friends. But while Rinkai had good reasons for fighting, did they necessarily have to win?

* * *

On the boat ride back to the ship, Arata, having changed back into her school uniform, looked out to sea. She was lost in thought as she was considering the decisions she made and the alternatives she had. A part of her believed that this was a useless process, but another part believed that any knowledge she could glean from this loss now would be useful in her final bid at the championship, and making the most of it was her duty to the school.

She heard footsteps behind her, and saw Himeko in her school uniform, which had sleeves that reached her hands. As Arata's eyes met Himeko's, she noticed Himeko's eyes appeared to be red and swollen.

_"I was wondering why it was taking Tsuruta-senpai so long to get changed, and why Hanada-senpai and the others thought she was avoiding them," _Arata thought. _"It seems I wasn't the only one who took the outcome quite hard."_

"Commander, I'm sorry about the match," Himeko said.

"I should be the one saying that, Tsuruta-senpai," Arata said. "The only reason you wound up on the other side of the river was because I gave the order."

Himeko paused, at a loss for words.

"I'm honestly not the same kind of commander Mairu was, so I can't really give you a good counterargument to that," Himeko said. "But what I can say is to tell you to take things in stride. You've got another year to try again, improve and defeat Saunders, which is a long time, but too little time for you to waste on regrets."

"That's true," Arata said. "Once I'm back, I'll work on arranging some exhibition matches to train the team, training the newer members, and so forth. We will also look over our mistakes, and ensure that those of us who remain and those who join the team next year do not repeat them."

As Arata adjusted the knot on her uniform's red necktie, a relic of Saunders' previous uniform, she thought about Harue, the one who had given it to her as a gift. There was a time when Arata had lost all respect for Harue over her decision to give up, but now that Arata was facing a similar situation, she started to understand how her mentor and idol had felt.

But unlike Harue, Arata had a second chance now, and time to learn from her mistakes. She would make use of her opportunity and succeed where Harue had failed, winning Saunders the championship next year.

* * *

_Present day_

As Arata finished telling her story, Nodoka felt more grateful than ever that she had been able to win, and proved herself capable of the responsibility she had. She would likely face many more challenges in the next year if she became commander, but she believed she was ready for them, and hoped Arata would overcome her failure and develop the necessary confidence.

"I do still feel as though I let down my teammates," Arata said, "particularly Hanada-senpai, Tsuruta-senpai and all of those a year ahead of me who are graduating this year."

"Of course, Yuu-san, Kay, Alisa and Naomi had a similar situation last year," Shizuno said. "And yet, they were able to enjoy the battle, and graduate largely without regrets- well, except for Alisa, but she came to terms with our loss."

Arata nodded.

"But I do have another chance, and I can learn from this loss," Arata said. "I'm grateful for that, and a part of me is glad that there are so many strong opponents out there. There's the ones we've expected, like Black Forest, Pravda and St. Gloriana, and ones that are up and coming, like Oarai, Rinkai and Koala Forest."

Nodoka nodded. Oarai's emergence had opened things up in the field of high school tankery, as had Rinkai's. In her final year of high school, she would likely enter a tankery tournament that was different in many ways from the way it had been before she entered high school.

"So we're getting ready to try again," Arata said. "And until that day comes, Nodoka, we'll be rooting for you and the others from your school."

"I'll still be striving for victory for my school." Nodoka then smiled. "But it wouldn't be so bad to lose to you if we do have a rematch next year."

"So you might be commander next year, Nodoka?" Harue said. "I'm glad to hear that. It's always nice to see one of my former students come a long way from when I had them."

Harue and her students then began reminiscing about old times, thinking back to when they could barely operate a tank. Many years had passed since then, but Harue was glad to see that the group remained together as well as it could, and that it still counted the members who had graduated or moved to other schools as friends. Perhaps time and life did separate people, but meaningful bonds remained intact, while those who were connected cherished their shared experiences and hoped to meet again.

* * *

Elsewhere, in the town, the four members of Anglerfish Team who had participated in the match went shopping for souvenirs in a local tankery store. While there, they passed by Leopon team, overhearing them talking animatedly about the tanks there.

"It feels a bit lonely doing this without Miporin," Saori said.

"Well, we can't do everything together forever, Saori," Mako said. "Miho's present circumstances aside, you and I have been separated various times over the years, and we'll likely go our separate ways for university."

Saori reluctantly nodded. The five girls of Anglerfish Team, a team with little in common outside tankery, had different career goals, and realized that they would likely end up going to separate universities, and even at the same university, they would likely be in entirely different classes. That reality was difficult to accept, but Saori saw little reason to doubt it.

"I know," Saori said. "Still, I always want to include my friends when I can. I was willing to switch out of tankery to do the same elective as Miporin, so the least I could do is offer to bring her along on an outing like this."

Hana nodded in agreement, having made the same decisions regarding her electives for the same reasons Saori had.

"I have an idea!" Yukari said. "Let's buy a little something for Nishizumi-dono."

The group picked out a decently-sized stuffed koala bear that was the mascot for Koala Forest's tankery team, which they believed would fit nicely on Miho's shelf with all the other stuffed animals. The bear was not much more than a thousand yen after sales tax, but they believed it was the best gift they could give to Miho, and they looked forward to being able to give it to her in person.

Shortly after paying for it, Anglerfish Team exited the store, and approached a nearby drugstore. As they approached, Ayumu's team and their substitute commander emerged, with the substitute commander holding a small bag.

"Excuse me, miss," Hana said. "Do you happen to know where we could buy a card to express condolences?"

"Right in here," the girl said. "Should be the middle of the cards aisle, on the left as you enter the store. Ask the clerk if you're still having trouble finding it."

"Thank you very much," Hana said. "And I hope that your vice-captain recovers soon."

"Thank you," the girls from Koala Forest said. "We also wish your commander the best."

As the two groups exchanged bows of gratitude, Anglerfish Team entered the store while the Koala Forest girls returned to their ship.

The clash between the two schools allowed only one side to advance, but in spite of the competition, the teams could still show empathy for one another. The four girls from Anglerfish team recalled the time when Miho repeated to them what she had once heard from her sister; that in tankery, rivalries with one another on the field of tankery battle must not become hard feelings off of it, regardless of the reasons one did tankery and whether they succeeded or failed. Oarai's stakes had been higher than most, even now, as its tankery team worked to justify its continued existence, but it pledged to continue to respect its opponents and the values of good sportsmanship.

_"I suppose that with all this competition, some people, like the Nishizumis and their disciples, push themselves a little farther than most," _Yukari thought. _"But in the end, we succeeded on our own terms, and with Nishizumi-dono, Haramura-dono and people like them, I believe we can still keep on being a successful team."_

* * *

At the entrance to the hospital, the four female Nishizumis prepared to go their separate ways, arranging transportation back to work and to school. Miho had to stay the night in a hotel room before leaving, but Shiho, Koharu and Maho could leave immediately. As they parted ways, Miho said goodbye, and expressed that, in spite of the circumstances, she was glad to see them again.

As Miho settled into her hotel room bed with a stuffed Bokoare-guma that was one of the few non-essentials she had packed, she drifted off to sleep as well as could be expected for one going to sleep away from home. For Miho, seeing that her father was, for the moment, alright, was enough to put her at ease.

As her mother said, she had to return to her own responsibilities for Oarai. She would have a great deal of challenges to face in the days and weeks ahead, from dealing with everything that happened in her absence to helping her team defeat a highly promising newcomer that was already being compared to the top tankery schools.

But while Miho's tasks were arduous and the odds were long, hope endured. Oarai had improved, but it was in many ways similar to the team she was when she had first joined, and had not sacrificed that part of its identity. Miho's choices would not be easy, but she believed that as long as she did not lose sight of her goals, the means by which she could achieve them would remain well in hand.

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

Thank you for the reviews. I'm glad to see someone voted in the poll, although I'm a bit surprised that the vote went to one of the auto club members.

I realized after I wrote up the last chapter of Necessary to Win that Alisa should still be around, but I decided to leave it as it is, since a few others are slightly older (Hiroko Funakubo, Maho Yumeno) or younger (Arata, Kuro) than in canon.

The Koala Forest arc has ended, and we now have our two semi-finals matches: Oarai vs. Rinkai and Pravda vs. Black Forest. For the moment, though, the focus will return to Oarai as Miho returns to school.

Now, the contestants have been narrowed down to the "big four"- Oarai, Rinkai, Black Forest and Pravda. Out of curiosity, who do you think will ultimately win the tournament?


	23. Neither Infallible Nor Invincible

**Chapter 17: Neither Infallible Nor Invincible  
**

After spending an entire day traveling, Miho returned to her apartment in the evening, after class. She checked her mailbox and noticed a larger than usual amount of mail in it- mostly junk mail, but also a newsletter for the Oarai community, and a copy of the newspaper with the news of the victory over Koala Forest.

The apartment was exactly as Miho had left it before her departure. It was reasonably neat, albeit not as much as it would have been just after cleaning. The plates Miho had used to eat her breakfast lay in the sink, waiting for her to wash them.

She checked her cell phone, and found a few messages, playing each in turn.

"Hi, Miho, this is Emi. Hitomi, Chihiro and I saw your match. Skype us when you can; I really can't say everything I want on this voicemail. Talk to you later."

"Nishizumi-san, this is Satou Ayano. I obtained notes from class for you. You can pick them up from the student council office once you get back. Please call the student council office if you would like to reach me. Thank you and goodbye."

"Miho-senpai, this is Nodoka. The team has been doing well in your absence, but something has come up, and I would like to discuss it with you. I can see you in the student council office whenever you're ready."

"Hi, Miporin, this is Saori. The others and I want to check in on you and make sure you're doing alright. We'd like to see you when you get back into school; we got you a little something. We hope to see you soon."

Miho took stock of what she had to do. She would be able to speak with Ayano and Nodoka the next day at school, and would be able to Skype her old friends the following evening; it had gotten too late already. For the moment, Miho decided to call Saori, and, evidently as a result of it being late, got Saori's voicemail system. With little time to leave a message, she decided to tell the basic truth.

"Hello, Saori-san, this is Miho," Miho said. "I got your message, and would like to let you know that I'm back. We'll talk later, but for now, while these past days have been difficult, they've turned out as well as I could have hoped, and I'm glad to be back. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

After making herself some dinner and doing some of her homework, which had been left in her mailbox, Miho went to sleep. There would be a great deal of work for her in the days ahead, but for the moment, she was glad to be home.

* * *

The next morning, Miho walked up to the school early, early enough to surprise Saro as she watched the gate and took attendance.

"Welcome back, Nishizumi-san," Saro said. "You're here early."

"I have business with the student council," Miho said. "They told me to come to pick up some notes and discuss some matters related to the team."

"Go right on ahead," Saro said. "I was informed about your... family situation, and excused your absences."

"Thank you," Miho said as she headed in.

Miho proceeded to the student council office, where the student council and Nodoka were waiting. Ayano and Nodoka's hands were full, with a notebook and a stack of papers, respectively.

"Welcome back, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said. "You've most likely heard by now, but the treasurer took notes in class for you, and Haramura-san has some things for you to look over."

"Thank you," Miho said as she accepted Ayano's notebook and the stack of papers Nodoka handed her, before taking a seat near Shizuru's desk.

Miho quickly skimmed Ayano's notes long enough to confirm everything she needed was there, then turned to the more pressing matter of the unfinished business.

The pile of papers Miho received from Nodoka was a mixed group. Some of it included reports on the latest battle, repairs on the tanks, and other matters. Miho decided to set them aside for the moment, because there was another group of papers that caught her eye- application forms of several people who now wanted to join the tankery elective.

Miho's emotions were mixed. She was thrilled more people were taking an interest in tankery, and sorry that she would have to tell them that they would not play an active role in the team. Oarai was still a relatively small team, and even with these new arrivals, it was far below most teams in terms of membership. In most circumstances, it would be a simple task to accommodate them, but there was a simple and obvious problem preventing Miho from doing so.

"So some more people want to join the tankery team," Miho said. "I'm a bit surprised at their timing for doing so; what brought it on?"

Nodoka shrugged.

"That varies from person to person, Miho-senpai," Nodoka said, "Some of them want to join their friends in their electives; Sasaki-san mentioned that one of her teammates, along with a friend, is interested in joining tankery. One of my classmates, who asked about switching electives, said she had grown dissatisfied with her incense elective."

For a moment, Miho had an amused smile as she recognized the elective in question. Incense was the elective she had initially chosen instead of tankery, which she believed was the most relaxing and least competitive one she could think of among the nine electives besides tankery. Shiina, who had taken the elective, chuckled.

_"Wow, that was fast," _Shiina thought. _"It took me my entire first year to realize how poorly run that elective was. I might be near the top of the class, but your classmate caught on faster than I did, Nodoka."_

Miho's expression turned serious as she realized the problem facing her.

"But I don't believe we have any tanks for them at this point..." Miho said, "unless that, too, has changed while I was away."

Nodoka shook her head. If Miho hoped for some good news on this regard in the past few days, for another sheet that she had forgotten to show her indicating acquisition of a tank, or that a tank would miraculously be found in the ship's bowels, she would be sadly mistaken.

"We don't, and _that's _why I wanted to consult with you, Miho-senpai," Nodoka said. "Everyone on the team at the moment is doing well; well enough so that it would not be fair or practical to replace them with untested newcomers so soon before the match with Rinkai."

Miho sighed. As a result of the tournament schedule and the difficulties associated with arranging matches, Oarai's match with Rinkai would be in less than two weeks. The students had spent longer in tanks before their first match of either tournament, so how would they fare with less practice? The only thing that came to mind was how Anteater Team had been eliminated almost instantly.

Of course, Miho's mind turned back to the lack of available tanks, and the fact that no solution had been found since the start of the year. Now, with the demand for tanks even higher and the supply unchanged, Miho would have to face some difficult decisions unless a solution was found.

"I know there's practically no chance of finding yet another tank in the bowels of our ship," Miho said, "but is it still beyond our ability to buy one?"

Ayano nodded, albeit regretfully.

"Regrettably, yes, Nishizumi-san," Ayano said, "given that many clubs have reduced funding, and few are asking for anything as expensive as a tank. It's like asking for seconds when we're rationing our remaining food supply. We're not starving, so to speak, but we have to be careful how we use our resources."

Shizuru nodded to concur.

"The unfortunate truth, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said, "is that if Oarai, in its hour of greatest need, with a student body willing to contribute however they could and with a student council willing to do whatever was necessary to succeed, could only purchase a tank conversion kit and some Schurzen, then it is difficult to expect us to buy a new tank, however much we would like to do so."

"I understand," Miho said, bowing in apology. "I'm sorry I asked."

"I don't fault you for asking about the feasibility of doing so, though, Miho," Natsumi said, without being prompted. "Getting a new tank or two to allow the newcomers to participate is the obvious solution, and the one that would be beneficial to the most people concerned... except, of course, for our opponents." Natsumi's warm, comforting and surprisingly genuine smile turned into a sly grin with the last remark.

"Yeah," Shiina said. "I mean, it's natural for someone like you to want to do the solution that helps everyone involved, like how you saved the Tas and won the semifinals last year."

"That's a good point, Vice President," Ayano said, "I may be a practical person, and I may believe in the needs of the many coming before the needs of the few, but when it's feasible to satisfy _everyone's_ needs, I see no reason not to do so."

"I know," Miho said. "I wonder if there's some way of including the others."

"So do I, Nishizumi-san," Ayano said, "But you must realize, having come from Black Forest, that not everyone is of use to a tankery team, and the team can't necessarily include everyone."

Miho nodded.

"I didn't like that aspect of Black Forest very much, Treasurer," Miho said. "But now that I think about it, that's a reality popular and successful teams must come to terms with, and we merely felt that part of reality more keenly at Black Forest."

"We do sympathize," Natsumi said. "We realize our Hetzer is not necessarily the best tank, and there are some, like Duck Team, who have to make do with worse tanks than ours."

"To make do..." Shizuru said. "That is what the Kadotani administration had to do last year. With no experience in tankery, Kadotani-senpai and her teammates fought against many better armed and better trained members of rival schools, all in an attempt to convince MEXT that the school had worth."

Ayano turned to Shizuru. The statement seemed reasonable, and was an argument that Ayano would have made, but Ayano was surprised to hear it coming out of Shizuru's mouth.

"Is something wrong, Treasurer?" Shizuru said, noticing an expression of surprise that she had rarely seen on her best friend's face.

"It's nothing, President," Ayano said. "I'm just surprised to hear you describe Kadotani-senpai and the others in such terms; perhaps you've come to realize that they were doing what they could."

Shizuru nodded. There was a time when she would have found Ayano's supposition ridiculous, but she was fully aware of how much she was changing, and how she was more similar to her predecessor than she had realized.

"Kadotani-senpai once struck me as being someone who always did whatever she felt like, in spite of the rules and her responsibilities," Shizuru said. "But now that I'm sitting in this position, I realize some of the limitations of what one can do as a leader. She might have been lazy, but perhaps she also realized leaders can't do everything. She might have taken a risky and irresponsible approach to saving the school, but what were her options?"

The rest of the room went silent. When Miho had been called into the student council office and threatened with expulsion by the former student council, she and her friends had thought that Anzu and Momo had come off as arrogant. But now that Miho had time to reflect on it, she saw something entirely different in their actions- desperation. They had not put pressure on her because they believed that they could do as they pleased, but because they believed they had no other choice. They were unwilling to let any tactical asset go, especially one as valuable as a girl with tankery experience.

Their successors' choices were very different, though. They were no longer fighting to ward off the school's imminent closure. Their decisions were more complex, with consequences that played out over the long term, so it was difficult to compare their mindset with that of their predecessors. Student councils were relatively powerful on school ships, but they still had certain factors- adult authority figures, school rules, the laws, what they could afford and their circumstances- that limited what they could do. The list of options to solve any given problem was thus more limited than most outsiders believed, and even though Shizuru was the most powerful student at Oarai Academy, she and her colleagues felt bound by those limitations.

"We don't know," Shizuru said, answering her own question. "The only thing I'm sure of is that the choices they had to make, and what they had to choose between, were different from what we have now."

Shizuru turned back to Miho, her expression no longer the resolute one she used to assert her authority over all of the school. If she often reminded Miho of her sister as a Nishizumi style commander, she now reminded Miho of her sister in her less guarded moments.

"Nishizumi-san, once again, I cannot tell you what to do," Shizuru said. "Whether and how you incorporate the new arrivals in the team is up to you. I can only recommend that you do so if they are worthy of the team and if you do so, you do so in the way that is best for the team. But as always, I trust you to make the right decision."

"I understand," Miho said. "But perhaps their coming is a good thing in and of itself for the long term."

Shizuru nodded. More people were starting to show interest in the tankery team, and even if they were not of use to the team at this moment, they would likely be in the future.

* * *

Miho had lunch with her fellow members of Anglerfish Team. Since Miho had heard about the battle with Koala Forest, the topic shifted to what Miho had been doing at that time.

"It sounds as though things are going about as well as could be expected," Mako said, smiling slightly. "That's a relief."

Miho nodded. The situation reminded her of the time Mako's grandmother had been hospitalized after falling, but Miho knew there was practically no chance of her father getting out of the hospital in time for the finals, partly because his injuries were more severe, and partly because there was less time.

"That's how I feel, Mako-san," Miho said. "I'm glad to be back at school."

The other four members of Anglerfish Team nodded, but Miho realized, after a moment, that they were having a non-verbal exchanged, when Saori produced a gift-wrapped box. The fact that the wrapping seemed less than professionally done, and that the tag said "To: Nishizumi-dono, From: Anglerfish Team" indicated that they had wrapped it themselves.

"The four of us got you a little welcome back present," Saori said, handing Miho the box.

Miho unwrapped the present, opened the box and removed the stuffed koala bear. As she held the soft fabric in her hands, she smiled broadly, pleased that her friends knew her tastes well enough to find such a gift for her.

"This looks quite nice," Miho said. "Thank you all so much!"

"You're welcome, Nishizumi-dono," Yukari said. "We thought it might make for a good addition to your collection."

The others nodded in agreement, pleased that their idea went well but not wanting to take sole credit.

"How are you faring with putting out fires, so to speak, Miho-san?" Hana said. "I hope the tasks that have piled up on your desk upon your return are not too overwhelming."

Miho shook her head reassuringly.

"I'm prepared to get back to work and catch up, Hana-san," Miho said. "Although... this is not exactly a problem I am used to as commander at this school."

"I think I know what you're talking about, Miporin," Saori said. "Last year, everything seemed to fall into place quite conveniently for us. Whenever we got a new tank, it wasn't long before we got people who could crew it. And whenever we got some new recruits, we often had a new tank."

"I know," Miho said. "This sounds more similar to Black Forest, and there, my sister was the one who made those decisions."

"In that case, now that you have a new situation, Nishizumi-dono, feel free to solve it your way,'" Yukari said. "It's worked quite well in the past, and we all trust you."

Miho smiled and nodded. Perhaps it was best to think of this new development as an opportunity rather than a challenge, and the new members as assets rather than burdens. If she thought of them that way, it would not be too difficult to think of ways in which she could make use of them, and enable them to fight alongside her.

* * *

At practice, Miho put her plan into effect, in hopes of incorporating the new members into the team.

Finding out which new recruits were suited to which positions was by no means easy, since none of them had any experience and few of them had any preferences. As a result, Miho decided have the new recruits rotate between the teams and various positions, in hopes of seeing whether any individuals were compatible with groups that needed a member, or whether the new recruits had any particular talent for certain positions.

It soon became evident, though, that much like the rest of the team when they started out, these newcomers had enthusiasm and little else. As they practiced, the difference in the skill levels of the current beginners and former beginners became painfully clear, and hardly any of the established teams that worked with the newcomers came back with any good news.

* * *

Rabbit Team was faced with the task of trying out a new member, Takizawa Ayame, a first-year, to see if she would work well with their tank. Ibuki's results in each position were considered decent for a beginner, and she was considered a potentially good fit for any position.

"I hope I didn't do too badly, senpais," Ayame said after practice ended.

"Not at all, Takizawa-san," Azusa said. "You're similar to us when we started out, and you load about as well as Saki-chan once did. It's just..." Azusa trailed off. "I'd like to talk with the girls."

"I see," Ayame said "I'll talk to you later, Sawa-senpai."

Azusa cracked a slight smile, while Aya was practically giddy.

"Wow, Azusa-chan, it's nice to be called 'senpai,' by the new arrivals," Aya said. "We're certainly moving up in the team."

"Maybe so," Azusa said, "but I don't think it was at all lost on her that we used first names on each other while we were much more formal with her. Even if she joins, she'll likely always be the newcomer to this group."

"Does the year difference matter?" Karina said. "Momogawa-san from Anteater Team is a second-year, but she's still close to the third-year Nekota-senpai and the vice president, as well as the alumna Piyotan-senpai."

"Well, Anteater Team met online, so their relationship wasn't defined by what year they were," Ayumi said, "so they could disregard that when they finally met. If you ask me, the example that comes to mind is Leopon Team, with Tsuchiya-senpai being a year behind the three who graduated at the end of last year. They were quite an effective team, and Tsuchiya-senpai and her three kouhais and teammates are becoming one, now."

"Yeah, good points," Yuuki said, before turning from Karina and Ayumi to Azusa. "But isn't there a more relevant problem, Azusa-chan?"

"Yes," Azusa said. "Simply put, regardless of whether this girl is a yearmate, kouhai or senpai to us, it's not such an easy task to incorporate her into an established team dynamic. I feel as though we've been getting along well so far, so perhaps some other team could use an extra hand more."

"Maybe you're right, Azusa-chan," Aya said. "But I believe they'll also have to deal with the challenges you spoke of."

* * *

Among Hippo Team, Yoshikawa Maki, a second-year transfer student, was trying out for the driver position. As she sat in the driver's seat, Oryou watched from a distance, while the other three members supervised her. The consensus among the four was that Maki was decent for a beginner, but a far cry from what would be an acceptable level of performance in combat.

Before long, though, the group noticed that there was something awkward about their teamwork. They weren't quite talking as they used to, and were not making the same historical references that they did in battle, which was a good way of easing the tension in any given situation. With that in mind, Erwin considered "inducting" Maki in a sense, hoping that if she got used to working alongside them, her performance would improve.

"What shall we call you?" Erwin said. "I'm trying to think of an appropriately impressive soul name for our newest members. Any ideas, Caesar?"

"I believe calling me 'Yoshikawa-san' would be most appropriate, Matsumoto-senpai," Maki said. "I would appreciate it if you showed me at least this level of courtesy."

"All right," Caesar said. "Yoshikawa-san it is. I was hoping that you had some ideas for a good nickname if you're going to be one of us."

Maki wondered if Caesar had meant to place emphasis on the "if," or if she had even done so at all. She always knew this would be a trial run, and so chose to regard it as such, particularly when she felt out of place among the others.

"I'm sorry, Suzuki-senpai," Maki said. "I'm not entirely good at that, or at history for that matter. It's always been my weakest subject, and having to put in extra hours of study for grades my parents would consider acceptable largely sapped my enthusiasm for it."

"If you simply do it for learning's sake, without having to worry about grades, then it's not stressful at all," Saemonza said. "In fact, you might even start to like it and have fun."

Maki sighed. In theory, what Saemonza was saying was good advice, and she had tried to find it, but she had never quite been able to succeed in doing so.

"Maybe my family would want me to be enthusiastic about it," Maki said. "But there are things that they consider worth learning, and things that they believe are not worth my time.'

Erwin paused to think. She realized that if Maki joined the group, she would quickly become the odd one out. This idea was uncomfortably familiar to Erwin, who had difficulty finding people who shared her obsessive interest in history until she met the other members of Hippo Team.

Erwin also realized that as the StuG only had a crew of four people, one of the original four members of Hippo Team- girls who lived together, went to school together, and did tankery together for over a year- would have to relocate to another tank. She had done that before in the battle with St. Gloriana the previous year, to the detriment of her crew's performance. In spite of that, she understood her commander's desire to field another tank, and how limited her options were.

Caesar nodded, having many of the same thoughts on her mind.

_"Well, it was worth a shot, Commander,"_ Caesar thought. _"The president's no Caligula, so so I don't think she'll fault you for trying."_

* * *

Yamazaki Ichiko, a first-year, tried out as gunner in the Chi-nu, firing on targets at the gunnery range. As she missed for the umpteenth time, Misha leaned over and whispered into Nekota's ear.

"Hey, Nekota," Shiina said. "Did Piyotan or I ever suck this much at gunning?"

Nekota shook her head, confident that without Shiina's question to give it context, Ichiko would never realize what the gesture meant.

_"We all know what it's like to be one of the noobs of the team," _ Nekota thought. _"Perhaps the problem be nothing more complex than having to perform on par with those who have some experience."_

"Um, Yamazaki-san," Nekota said, her voice hesitant as a result of nervousness and trying to formulate her question, "Might it be that... you're aiming the gun like you would in a video game?"

"Uh, no, I don't think so," Ichiko said. "The only time I ever played a video game was when I did a dancing game at a friend's birthday party. I wouldn't know the first thing about how a tank game works."

"I see," Nekota said. "I suppose you just need practice, then."

"I really don't get why people would play video games when they can do something like this in real life," Ichiko said. "This is a lot of fun."

After the practice ended, Nekota spoke with Shiina and Momogawa behind the tank, out of earshot of Ichiko.

"Yamazaki-san may not be a gamer, but she's not very different from we were long ago," Nekota said. "She doesn't have much talent yet, but she's enthusiastic. She's like one of those ALO newbies who can't even kill one of those mountain wolves near the dwarven starting city, but nevertheless, puts everything she has into leveling."

"That's true," Momogawa said. "And that's why it'd be for the best if she didn't fight her first match against Rinkai. I'd rather not risk seeing that spirit crushed by disappointment."

Shiina sighed and nodded in agreement. Perhaps in another time, another place, she would have been turned away; the student council had prepared for that possibility when they offered to help. But the tankery team had proved quite enjoyable, enough so that she did not consider the extra work to be an onerous burden, and her heart went out to those like Ichiko who were unable to find their place.

* * *

Other teams had more luck. Kuwata Shiki, a first-year who played baseball for her middle school, worked surprisingly well with Duck Team, easily fitting into the fellow athletes while subbing for Akebi as gunner. They seemed pleased at this development, until Akebi innocently asked, "So does that mean she'll become my replacement?" resulting in an uncomfortable silence descending on the group until they changed the subject.

Mallard Team, which had been shorthanded until then, tried to accommodate some of the new recruits, but the skill gap between them and the established members was apparent.

Sparrow Team and Octopus Team, both teams with fully-crewed tanks and new members, tried some of the newcomers in various positions, but were not impressed with the results.

The few prospective recruits to Leopon Team were scared off by what they were up against when dealing with the unreliable tank. One threatened to leave the team if she had to do it, only for Miho to calmly remind her of the purpose for the exercise.

Few of the teams were coming up with anything on their own, so Miho hoped that together, they might be able to work something out and determine a plan to see how they could potentially implement the new recruits.

* * *

The evening after practice that day, Miho held a meeting with her fellow Anglerfish Team members over dinner at her apartment, and told them what she had discussed with the Student Council, as well as a decision she had made in a brief meeting with the other commanders.

"Essentially, we're splitting into teams to discuss how we're doing before the commanders meet," Miho said. "By having the commanders represent the groups, it's meant to keep the discussion flowing smoothly. And by having the teams meet separately, they can work out what they need as a team."

"Do we really _need_ anything, Miporin?" Saori said. "There are five roles for the Panzer IV and five of us." Saori counted to five on her hands, first with her right, then her left."And if I do say so myself, we've done quite well in most of our battles."

"That's true, Saori-san," Miho said. "But as a team with no overall theme, I have to ask; how do you think others would do with an extra member?"

Saori nodded. Most of the others had various things in common- some had shared interests, others were close friends, and still others were simply in the same age group.

"Good question," Saori said. "I've known Mako since we were little, and I've known Hana since our first year, but neither of them knew each other until we started doing tankery together. And you and Yukarin were strangers to us and each other, apart from what Yukarin heard about you."

"That's to be expected," Mako said. "I have a few friends that Saori doesn't know, and most of them, except for Saro and Shiina, aren't doing tankery."

"And, of course, Nishizumi-dono and I were people you met more recently," Yukari said. "It also took us a while to find our optimal positions."

"Yes," Hana said. "We have been through a great deal together, but it took us some time to work most effectively as a team. And I cannot help but wonder if a new member will feel like an outsider here."

"I can't speak for the others, but I'm pretty welcoming," Saori said.

"Indeed," Miho said. "Perhaps this is a question that the other teams will largely have to tackle. And maybe there is no way to incorporate everybody."

Miho said the last sentence with a sadly resigned tone, and the five girls let the subject drop.

* * *

The next day, after practice, Miho called the nine other girls who were commanders of their tanks to a meeting to discuss what they had come up with meeting with each other. The final meeting only consisted of the commanders, not out of a desire for secrecy, but to have a more manageable discussion size.

"Thank you for coming," Miho said. "I asked you to discuss amongst yourselves, based on your results from the practice session and crew needs thus far, whether you could feasibly accommodate additional crew."

"Perhaps it might be best if you went first, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said. "Some of us do not fully understand what factors we should be considering when making our decisions."

Miho nodded.

"I spoke with my crewmates," Miho said. "We're willing to accommodate a new member, since we started out as an expanding group of friends. But practically speaking, we find that it would be difficult to practically incorporate someone in the group, especially given that all the roles in our tank are filled."

"You're not the first person to experience something like this, Miho-senpai," Nodoka said. "My team's Tas is already filled. My team, which started out with two pairs of close friends, with everyone else being acquaintances, had to get adjusted to working together last year, and will have to do so again this year."

"I see, Nodoka-san," Miho said. "Would it be too much to ask you to do it again?"

"Well..." Nodoka continued, "it has taken some time, but we were able to accommodate our new team member, Maho-chan, and adjust to two roles being swapped around. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, our tank, the Tas, already has a full crew."

"We're in a similar situation, Haramura-san," Mutsuki said, taking her cue to go next. "Of all of us, only Momo and Kaori are in their original positions from last year. Kanbara-senpai brought Kaori in for the purposes of filling the club, but we had no ambitions of playing competitively, so this is another issue entirely."

"And the Cromwell should be at capacity, as well, if it has five people" Nodoka said. "Is that correct, Miho-senpai?"

Miho nodded.

"The StuG is in a similar situation," Erwin said. "All of the tank's major functions are accounted for."

"So is the Type 89," Noriko said. "The four of us concluded that it'd be a difficult sell to get anyone else to crew this. Two of our new arrivals are members of my team who had time to think it over, and have come to see tankery as much a part of our club as volleyball is. They want to help out, as long as there's room."

Miho nodded approvingly, glad to hear that others were coming to like tankery. She then counted off on her fingers.

"So we now know that Anglerfish, Octopus, Sparrow, Hippo and Duck cannot feasibly accommodate a new member," Miho said, glancing over the remaining five to see who would be able to help.

"What about us, Commander?" Azusa said. "The six of us talked for some time, but we had trouble understanding how we, with the largest crew, could take on additional people, given how things had gone at practice."

"Technically, the M3 Lee has a crew of seven, Sawa-san," Miho said.

"Oh," Azusa said. "Maybe it's below the recommended number or what have you, but we felt like we weren't having any problems with the people we have, while we had to adjust to a new person. Are we wrong, Commander?"

"Not necessarily," Miho said. "Part of this is asking about how well you think your team works. If you're doing well, then I see no reason to change things at this point."

"Thank you, Commander," Azusa said, and Miho, giving a nod of appreciation, turned to Anteater Team.

"We could potentially use a little more help with the Chi-Nu," Nekota said. "But there are two problems. First, we remember how we did in the finals last year, as amateurs going up against a strong opponent. Second, we also realize that it can be difficult to accommodate new members. It's a bit hard to explain, but I think I have an analogy... do you play many multiplayer games, Nishizumi-san?"

"Not exactly," Miho said, noticing that Shizuru seemed to be on the verge of saying something.

"In the tank game I play, there's a match connecting service that puts you with other players when forming a team," Nekota said. "You most likely won't be doing it with your crewmates from Anglerfish Team, your teammates from Oarai, or even people from the same school, if they're high schoolers. Such teams don't always work together well; they may have the same goal, but aren't used to working together, and may be somewhat inexperienced, to put it mildly."

Miho nodded, understanding what Nekota was getting at. Nekota had declined to mention the rated matches, which made it less likely that newbies would be pitted against veterans, and that the highest rated and most skilled players would battle it out for supremacy, meaning that the matches would be more fair. That would have been overly complicated, and the reality was that Oarai could face a much stronger opponent at any stage of the game.

"Speaking of newbies," Tsuchiya said. "I got a few of them on my team this year. Unfortunately, this tank isn't one for an amateur, and I'd rather not saddle any newcomers with one that even my Auto Club kouhais only recently got the hang of using."

Shizuru nodded.

"I understand what you're saying," Shizuru said. "As far as the Student Council goes, Ayano and I were friends before, and it took some getting used to working together with Fujino-san and Teradaira-san. Perhaps the newcomers might be more on our level in terms of tankery, but we know that it can be difficult to get a group to work together effectively."

"What about you, Hirose-san?" Miho said to Saro. "You may be going last but you should not feel compelled to say yes where all the others said no."

Saro shook her head.

"Normally, this is where I would have to do the 'dutiful' thing and take on the new arrivals, since I'm somewhat shorthanded" Saro said. "But I've come to realize that doing a job just because someone else expects you to do it is irresponsible if you can't actually do the job. I also have always believed that giving the job to an incompetent person out of pity is equally irresponsible. Perhaps it may be unfair, given my performance is not especially stellar, but I don't think my team would work better with them. I'll give it a few more practices, but I'm not sure whether it'll improve."

Miho sighed. A part of her had hoped that Saro could honestly say yes, but she knew from the circumstances and Saro's own personality that it was unlikely to happen.

"I appreciate all of you sharing your questions, concerns and personal experiences, " Miho said. "Unfortunately, I have to conclude that at this moment, we will not be able to incorporate the newcomers here without adverse effects on team performance."

A silence descended on the room for a few moments, until Shizuru spoke.

"To be honest, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said, "you shouldn't feel as though you should have to include everyone. Furthermore, as I said before, there are times when you'll never be certain whether the decision you make is the right one, even when it is."

"I know," Miho said. "Since Rinkai will be a difficult opponent, I had hoped to do what we could to improve our combat capabilities, and lessen our disadvantage against a school that is starting to take advantage of its numerical advantage."

The others solemnly nodded, as the meeting turned to other topics related to the team's overall performance. In spite of Oarai's success, they remained outnumbered and outgunned, disadvantages that caused some to legitimately doubt whether they would be able to repeat the feat this year. But Oarai knew that, like them, its opponents were neither infallible nor invincible, and so worked tirelessly to find ways to defeat them.

* * *

At Black Forest, Erika watched over her team as they practiced. They were performing well, but it was under ideal conditions, which would not necessarily be indicative of their performance in battle. Takako had once told a group of new gunners that their performance, at the firing range, while good for beginners, only proved that they were able to aim and fire the gun, not that they were ready to do tankery battle.

This piece of advice was especially true, given that Miho's unorthodox tactics had been able to throw Black Forest's forces into disarray, thereby removing their otherwise overwhelming advantage of being able to move and fire as a single unit. As several powerful German tanks- even the Maus, the largest superheavy tank in history- fell against Oarai, it was clear that firepower would not guarantee the enemy's defeat, nor would strong armor preclude Oarai defeating Black Forest. The Black Forest tankery team consisted mainly of third-years, along with some second- and even first-years who had prior tankery experience and exceptional performance, but they had lost to a team consisting mainly of neophytes, simply because Oarai's fighting style was outside most of their expectations.

These realizations were sobering, but a part of Erika refused to simply accept them. To her, Black Forest had earned its status as champions, and the Nishizumi school had likewise become the most prestigious tankery school in Japan because it was the best tankery school in the nation. She, along with those others who commanded Black Forest, earned the position by proving themselves in tankery. Perhaps it would take more than one tournament victory to silence the naysayers, but Erika was determined that the process would start this year, with her.

In the end, discipline, experience and tank strength would not be enough to win the day by themselves, and Erika was no longer unshakably certain of Black Forest triumphing against Pravda. In spite of that, Erika still believed in the Nishizumi style, and vowed to defeat Pravda and the winner of the other semifinals match to reassert its superiority.

* * *

At Pravda, Kinue and Anastasia supervised the practice. In preparation for the later matches, the benchwarmers fought alongside the main team, which, themselves, was largely composed of those who were new to the school, or were on the bench last year. While the majority of Pravda's efforts were focused on defeating Black Forest in the semifinals, as well as defeating Oarai or Rinkai in the finals, they also looked further ahead to the future, training those who would become full-fledged members next year.

"How are things going out there?" Kinue said.

"Quite well, Comrade Commander," Anastasia said. "The teams that we're taking to the finals have been practicing hard, and are quite excited to represent their school for the first time."

"A lot of the team is new this year," Kinue said. "It's just like how I was a new regular to the team last year, finally getting the chance to fight alongside my sister, my senpais and my cousins, all of whom have graduated by now."

"And now you're in command of everyone who's still at the school," Anastasia said. "You've really come a long way."

Kinue nodded, albeit somewhat hesitantly. She still remembered how, a mere two years ago, she was not yet ready to represent the team in tournament matches.

"спасибо, Anastasia-chan," Kinue said. "But I still feel as though I need to prove that I am capable of this responsibility, and live up to the example my sister and the others set."

"I understand how you feel," Anastasia said. "I was an unremarkable student at your mother's school, and a benchwarmer in my first year here. The only thing Instructor Atago could unreservedly praise me about was my diligence."

"That's actually a very good trait to have," Kinue said. "I'm also the sort who can only succeed by trying harder than anyone else. so I'm glad to see others who are willing to work hard and improve. We'll need to do a great deal of both if we want to win the last two rounds, after all."

While Kinue always looked up to her sister, she believed she had more in common with Miho, as girls who tried to live up to their more accomplished siblings, and succeed even if it was not by the same means or under the same standards as the rest of their respective families. She saw Miho's triumph as an inspiration, even as she set about her efforts to ensure that Miho did not take the championship in her final year.

* * *

After practice ended, Nijou Izumi and Nina, both second-years, as well as Ueshige Suzu, a third-year, began walking home. The three of them were now serving together in the same crew, a KV-2, this year, having served in three different tanks the year before, along with two others who had been benchwarmers until this year.

"I think our crew is working out quite well," Izumi said. "Don't you agree, Nina, Ueshige-senpai?"

"I do, Izumi," Suzu said. "It's somewhat surprising considering that the five of us had never worked together before until this year."

"Well, that tends to happen in a large tank team like Pravda's," Suzu said. "It's especially hard on someone like Nina, who isn't very good with names and faces."

Izumi chuckled softly, while Nina pouted.

"That's mean, Ueshige-senpai," Nina said. "There's a lot of people to remember, and if you ask me, most tend to stay in their small groups."

"I agree," Izumi said. "I did feel like the odd girl out of my previous crew, as Eguchi-senpai, Onjouji-senpai and Shimizudani-senpai had been close since middle school, and they knew the former vice-captain."

"Who, of course, happened to be the commander's cousin," Suzu said. "Still, our previous crews were quite effective, even if we we did feel like outsiders."

Izumi nodded, conceding the point. There was a time when that was all she wanted out of a tankery team, and would have been content to be just another cog in the Pravda war machine.

"Well, I suppose a certain degree of anonymity is to be expected in a team this size," Izumi said. "There was a time when I primarily thought about how successful the tankery team was, and didn't care about anything else."

"But now?" Nina said expectantly.

"Now, I've stopped concerning myself with the quality of this team or its reputation," Izumi said. "It's _my_ team, first and foremost, and even those I don't know well are my comrades, in a sense. I hope to take this team to the championship once or twice more, since it's what I owe to myself, my teammates and the team as a whole. Are you with me?"

"да," Nina and Suzu said together. While none of them were on the team for Pravda's victory two years ago, it had given them some idea of what they could achieve, and the idea that the championship was within their reach. Their team now was very different than the one they had back then, but they believed anything was possible.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Rinkai, Emi sat with Satoha and some of her other friends. They had spent much of the day doing drills with teams of 15 tanks, in preparation for the semifinals. Rinkai had well over 20 tanks, but not quite as many as some of the other schools, so doing a 15 on 15 tank battle was currently impossible for them.

In spite of the fact that their numbers were lower than some established schools, some students were relegated to the bench. Not all the students took this well; there had been an incident early in the year when a benchwarmer driver cornered Hao's driver, a Chinese transfer student, and began angrily shouting at her, capping her angry rant off with a racial slur. The commotion drew Alexandra's attention, and she immediately ejected the offender from the team, before holding a brief impromptu meeting with Emi and Satoha. Before the next practice session, Alexandra called a mandatory assembly of all hands, informing the team that such behavior was unacceptable and anyone who did not respect he authority or could not work well with their teammates should leave. A few people turned in letters of resignation, but the majority stayed, resulting in a stronger team, and one that was still larger than those that some of the participants had come from.

"I must say, this is larger scale than what I'm used to in my home country," Nelly said. "There, most tank battles didn't go above ten tanks."

"What, because of the tank limit?" Emi said.

"More like because there weren't any schools with more tanks than that," Nelly said. "Basically, every tank that there was out there got committed, regardless of quality. All the crews had to do their best, because the teams didn't have anyone to fall back on."

"So you understand why Oarai has overcome its disadvantages thus far, Nelly," Emi said, with an approving smile.

"I think I see now why you try so hard, Nelly," Megan said. "Before, I thought you just had something to prove."

Nelly shrugged. Perhaps she did feel that, on some level. When Nelly's gunner, a third-year named Sakurai Suzume, had performed somewhat poorly in her first practices, Nelly gave Suzume some pointers, but noticed that the older girl had some level of discomfort. When pressed, Suzume admitted that a part of her felt uncomfortable to be lectured by her junior, and said it was unusual for first-years to come as far as Nelly had. Nelly, in response, had made a deal with Suzume; Nelly would respect Suzume as a senpai, while Suzume would respect Nelly as a superior, and both would put nothing less than their best efforts in.

"Well, there's that, too," Nelly said. "I was MVP of my school, but I was essentially a big fish in a very small pond. Here, I do have to try hard to stand out and prove myself."

"Well, I may not be the best person to say this," Megan said, "but I think you should simply do your best and everything else will fall into place."

Nelly smiled slightly. The arrangement she'd made with Suzume- essentially nothing more than them coming to understand each other and making a simple compromise- had worked out well, and Nelly's crew was now one of Rinkai's best.

"I actually understand what you're saying, Meg," Nelly said. "We're all coming together for this undertaking, and we all have to make sacrifices and put the goal of the group first."

"Indeed," Satoha said. "But by winning the tournament for our school, we will also be able to accomplish what we set out to do for each and every one of us. For me, that's making the tournament more open to competition, and having fun."

Emi nodded. Miho had expressed similar sentiments before in their conversations in the recent past. A part of Emi found it unfortunate that of two schools with commanders who were similar in that regard, only one would proceed to the finals, but another was eagerly awaiting testing herself and her schoolmates against one of her old friends.

"It's taken a fair amount of effort to make this team work," Emi said. "We've brought together many people from different countries, with different ways of tankery, and had to work well together. But the result is quite worthwhile, and few teams will be able to stand against a team consisting of the best from all over the world."

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

This chapter exists in large part to explore what happens when Oarai runs out of luck, in a sense, having more recruits than tanks and being unable to add them to the tanks. In many other fics, Oarai would conveniently find or buy a tank around this time, but not only are they unlikely to be able to buy a tank if they could only upgrade their tanks before, but they're unlikely to find yet another tank around the ship like they have in the past, and like they do in many other fanfics.

It also exists to provide a look at the other semi-finalists, and compare and contrast their situations. All three of Oarai's remaining rivals are larger, but their schools have very different characters and goals.

So, once again, Oarai has to make do with what it has, against an exceptionally strong opponent. Only time will tell if they are able to succeed.

Edited to make some minor changes


	24. Interlude 16: Rinkai

**Interlude 16: Rinkai**

Inside Rinkai's tankery team meeting room, the coach and some of the members of the team held a meeting to discuss the latest developments in the tournament, including their third victory.

"Once again, excellent work against Saunders, ladies," Alexandra said, "but now we're up against Oarai Academy, the ones who defeated them. This will be our chance to show our skill against a relatively weak opponent, and prove just how far we as a team can go."

"I know, Coach," Satoha said. "Oarai does have a knack for overcoming the odds and going far with very little."

"Yeah, and I have my own reasons for wanting to do well here," Emi said. "After being away from Miho for so long and having so much time to improve, I don't want to disappoint her. I'd like to show her that I've been honing my skills, and that I found my own way of doing tankery."

Megan nodded. She was a classmate of Emi and Satoha, and knew the two of them relatively well.

"I gotcha," Megan said. "I heard about Emi and Satoha's stories, but what about the others? Why are you trying so hard to win? All of us have accomplished a great deal in our home countries, but why?"

"Do we need a reason, Meg?" Nelly said. "Winning may not be the be-all and end-all people like the Nishizumi school says it is, but isn't it what we try for, anyway?"

"I suppose," Megan said. "But at the same time, there's a clear difference in how people do when they have a reason to fight for and when they don't. Maybe it's because I'm from America, a more individualistic culture, but I've always believed that people should always get something out of the success that they achieve for their team, or any other organization to which they belong."

"I actually think that makes a fair amount of sense, Meg," Satoha said. "We have our obligations to the team, but we're all here because we choose to be."

"I'm not against it, either," Alexandra said. "I may be focused on the results, but whatever motivates you to achieve them is a positive in my book. While this team has yet to prove itself, all of you have demonstrated your skill, so I see no reason to doubt you."

"So why are we here?" Satoha said. "For me, it's a desire to fight for a common cause alongside my comrades, but I suspect that's not all for everyone else."

Myeonghwa nodded.

"For me, tankery wasn't always an obvious path for me," Myeonghwa said. "I had heard of it here and there, but hadn't had a chance to do it much, as I went to middle school on a somewhat small Catholic school ship."

"What was it like?" Megan said.

"It was a bit stricter than the schools you went to in America, Meg," Myeonghwa said. "We wore a uniform, a bit like this one, except we had a slipover sweater instead of a blazer, the skirt was plaid, and the necktie had blue and red stripes, our school colors. The nuns were zealous enforcers of the rules with little tolerance for misbehavior, and they would often have us write on the blackboard after class for various infractions."

Emi chuckled slightly, recalling the time she had found the requirement to wear a uniform to be very strict.

"Yeah, that sounds like quite the strict place," Emi said.

"Perhaps, but it was for our benefit," Myeonghwa said. "The purpose of school ships are to get children to be independent of their parents, and my school was very up front about what it expected out of us. We may not be able to support ourselves yet, but we have a great deal to learn before then, and they're determined to teach it to us."

The others nodded in agreement. They felt as though they still had much to learn, having come to an entirely different culture, but the idea of going to school on a ship was not new to them. Starting from their commonalities, they could become used to what others, particularly their hosts, did differently from them.

"Of course, there were downsides to all this," Myeonghwa said. "Being separated from my parents was sometimes lonely, especially when one day, out of the blue, I heard that I would never see my father again."

* * *

_Four years ago  
_

Myeonghwa was in homeroom at her middle school, along with several other girls. School had not yet started, and the homeroom teacher, Sister Francoise, was taking attendance. School had not officially begun yet, but while on campus, students were bound by school rules.

Myeonghwa's cell phone began to ring, she realized that she had absent-mindedly left her cell phone on. Like with most students who were studying abroad, her cell phone was her primary means of staying in touch with her family, so it was possible that several others had left theirs on, as well, and she was the only one unlucky enough to get a call.

"(I believe it's your cell phone, Mademoiselle Choe)," Sister Francoise said sternly in French.

Sighing softly, Myeonghwa decided to pick it up, noticing that the caller ID was from her mother.

_"Mom doesn't usually call during the school day_," Myeonghwa thought.

"(Hello, Mom,)" Myeonghwa said in Korean. Since neither Sister Francoise nor the rest of the class could understand the language, they watched her expectantly, hoping for her to quickly conclude the call.

"(Ah, Myeonghwa,)" Professor Choe said. "(I'm glad I could reach you.)"

"(Sorry, but can I call back later, Mom?)" Myeonghwa said. "(It's in the middle of class and Sister Francoise is already angry with me.")

Myeonghwa's finger hovered over the button to end the call, not wanting to further risk her teacher's wrath. Having students write on the board was a figment of the student body's imagination, but even relatively minor offenses could be punished with detention.

"(I'm sorry, Myeonghwa, that was absent-minded of me,)" Professor Choe said. "(It's just that after hearing of the plane crash, I haven't been thinking clearly.)"

"(What plane crash?)" Myeonghwa said, and her heartbeat quickened as she remembered that her father was setting out today on an early-morning flight.

"(Flight 4400 went down, and there are no survivors)," Professor Choe said. "(I'm sorry, Myeonghwa, but your father is dead)."

Myeonghwa paled in shock, and at this point, those around her realized that this was no ordinary call.

"(...Myeonghwa?)" Professor Choe said as Myeonghwa remained silent for several seconds.

"(I'm sorry, Mom, I can't talk now,)" Myeonghwa said. "(I'm in the middle of class, and it's too soon for me to come to terms with this.)"

"(I understand, dear,)" Professor Choe said. "(Let's talk later and work through this together. I'm sorry for getting you in trouble... but after what happened to your father, I just had to hear my daughter's voice.)"

Myeonghwa turned her cell phone off and flipped it shut.

"(I'm sorry for the disruption, Sister,)" Myeonghwa said. "(My mother called me to inform me that my father had died)."

Sister Francoise decided to put off Myeonghwa's punishment for another time. She lacked patience for rulebreakers, not compassion or empathy. And since her own parents had died in a car accident when she was a young nun in training, she knew all too well what Myeonghwa was going through.

"(You have my deepest condolences, Mademoiselle Choe,)" Sister Francoise said. "(I will be praying for you and your father)."

"(Thank you, Sister,)" Myeonghwa said.

With a nod, Sister Francoise decided to get back to class. Myeonghwa knew that her studies would have to resume preferably sooner than later, and appreciated Sister Francoise's gesture of kindness, but a part of her found it difficult to accept that life would go on without her father. In spite of that, she realized that she would have to come to terms with the loss sooner or later, and she had all the time in the world to do so.

* * *

_Present day_

A somber silence came over the group, broken only by expressions of condolences toward Myeonghwa. She gratefully accepted them before resuming her tale.

"Good things seem to take a while to work towards, while bad things happen in the blink of an eye," Myeonghwa said. "It's a bit like how a house of cards that takes hours to build can be knocked down with the flick of a finger." Myeonghwa slowly, and almost mournfully extended her index finger from the armrest of her chair, befoe relaxing it. "That's why, even as I work hard to help establish this team, I realize that it won't last forever, and might not last very long. That's why I cherish my friends, while I have them around."

"That's a good mindset," Emi said. "I should know, as I met some of my old friends again recently."

"Before long, I had to get back to school, although I realized things would not be the same," Myeonghwa said. "My mother, my only remaining family, was still alive, and I was grateful for that, but she was quite busy with her job. Perhaps if I had not been in middle school at the time, she might have taken a leave of absence, but she kept working to support me."

"I understood what she had to do, even then," Myeonghwa said. "But school breaks were lonely without her around, and I was hoping to find something I could do to stave off those feelings."

* * *

_Three years ago_

As Monday classes began, the students were already counting down the days until the weekend. Their teachers did not pretend that they had their students' undivided attention, but so long as they behaved and seemed to be paying attention, the teaches did not punish them.

Marie Delacroix, one of Myeonghwa's friends, sat down next to her to strike up a conversation.

"(Do you have any plans for the weekend, Myeonghwa?)" Marie said.

"(None, unfortunately, Marie,)" Myeonghwa said. "(Mom's been busy with work lately, and her university ship isn't stopping in port for a while.)"

"(Sorry to hear that)," Marie said. "(My folks were busy a lot before I started going to middle school, so I have some idea of what it's like)."

"(It's not entirely bad,)" Myeonghwa said. "(She says keeping busy helps keep her mind off of Dad. Every minute she spends in class or at the office is one that she doesn't have to spend in an empty home.)."

"(Yeah, but what do you have to do?)" Marie said. "(Speaking as someone who lost her dad at a young age, I imagine it's hard on you as well)."

Myeonghwa nodded. She had always been hesitant to talk about Marie's father, fearing it would only cause her pain. But after Myeonghwa lost her own father, she and Marie had started talking about their fathers, becoming closer in the process, and Myeonghwa realized that Marie was happy to talk about the fond memories. Talking with Marie helped Myeonghwa realize that she was not alone, and that others could help her understand her own situation.

"(I asked Mom once, and she said that all I could really do at this point was do well in school,)" Myeonghwa said. "(But I know enough to be aware that it's really only not causing trouble for Mom, rather than making things easier for her)."

"(Well, that's probably enough for your mom)," Marie said. "(You're doing alright at the moment, so she can carry on with work, her other responsibilities, and through it all, gradually come to terms with the loss of her husband.)"

"(I suppose so,)" Myeonghwa said, her tone doubtful. "(At the same time, though, I find it hard to believe that this is all I can do.)"

"(That's understandable,)" Marie said. "(It took me a while to come to that realization myself. But you have all the time in the world, Myeonghwa, so I think you'll figure it out in the end)."

Myeonghwa faintly smiled. Perhaps the process of overcoming her grief would not be easy, but she felt as though she would someday understand what she needed to do.

* * *

_Present Day_

"It took me some time before I fully accepted what Marie had told me," Myeonghwa said. "But in the end, I realized that if I was doing well on my own, Mom would be happy for me, and at ease with herself. I gradually began to accept the fact that becoming independent would not happen overnight, although some changes would facilitate it."

"So this is where tankery comes in," Alexandra said, and Myeonghwa nodded. When Alexandra had interviewed Myeonghwa, she had chosen not to inquire about her past or her family. Myeonghwa was grateful for that consideration, but now felt ready to tell her story.

"I first got involved in tankery in high school," Myeonghwa said. "The part about it making girls into good women was appealing, and it was an outlet for my energies. Through it, I hoped to become someone who could live independently and make her parents proud."

"What kind of team was yours like?" Megan said. "Our teams in America run the gamut from sports teams to ROTC-like organizations; and I mean actual ROTC, not just JROTC. Of course, it depends on what level of school you're talking about, as the military academies are clearly more organized than middle schools, and compete in a special tournament with other such schools."

"I'd say the former, Meg," Myeonghwa said, "but we were quite successful in spite of that. It was in my first year of high school that I was able to win the French tournament along with my school."

"Ah, yes," Alexandra said. "We heard a great deal about the tournament, and your being named an MVP."

"That's largely about attitude, Coach," Myeonghwa said modestly. "The member of the team who shows up the most often and shows the best sportsmanship is more likely to get it than the most experienced or statistically best player."

"And that's just as important to a team," Alexandra said. "With a team of so many people who have not worked well together before, we need people whose personalities are amenable to this. Even tankery in general is about working well as an organization, and to some degree, teamwork is more important than skill."

"Thank you, Coach," Myeonghwa said. "But fortunately, I'm not the only one thinking of it this way."

The others nodded in agreement.

"But what you said earlier was true, Coach; getting used to Japan is a bit of an adjustment," Myeonghwa said. "I try to be polite to others, but I do often find we have different standards."

"Well, I think you've got a better grasp of this country's etiquette so far than I do, even though you've been here for far less time," Emi said. "I was never able to get behind the entire idea of Japanese politeness."

"Not all Japanese follow the stereotype, Emi," Satoha said, "just as you're not necessarily stereotypical Japanese, German, or a hybrid of both. Of course, some have a point that a bit of tact and courtesy gets you a long way."

"Fair enough," Emi said, "my mom, who's my German parent, tells me that all the time. It does seem easier, though, to say what's on your mind, rather than constantly worry about what the other people will think."

"Yeah, and people can tell when you're sucking up to them or trying to avoid saying something," Megan said. "Real friends are honest with each other."

"I agree, Meg," Myeonghwa said, before turning to Emi. "The first friend I made in Japan was a girl who was bold enough to tell me that I had made a mistake."

* * *

_Earlier this year_

At lunch, Emi, looking fora table while Satoha stood in line, encountered Myeonghwa. While she immediately noticed that the pale-haired Myeonghwa did not look Japanese at all.

"Mind if I sit here?" Emi said.

"You certainly may..." Myeonghwa said.

"I'm Nakasuga Emi, a third-year transfer student," Emi said. "And you are?"

"I'm Choe Myeonghwa, second-year here, also a transfer student," Myeonghwa said in Japanese, as she set her tray on the table. "It's nice to meet you."

Emi bowed, but then rose to see Myeonghwa standing there, her hand extended and a blank look on her face.

Emi cleared her throat and looked at Myeonghwa expectantly.

"Word of advice," Emi said. "When someone bows, you do the same, especially when they're older than you."

Myeonghwa froze for a moment in shock and embarrassment, before realizing that there was only one thing she could do in this situation.

"I'm sorry, Emi..." Myeongwha said, bowing much more deeply than Emi had.

Emi blushed slightly. In spite of her sometimes irascible nature, she did feel guilty about putting Myeonghwa on the spot as she just had. To Emi, it was possible that Myeonghwa naturally tried to placate others, but it was also possible that Emi had unwittingly given the impression that she was angry with her.

"You don't need to bow so deeply, unless I'm much higher status than you, or you _really_ pissed me off," Emi said. "While I'm a year above you- which means you call me "Nakasuga-senpai" until I give you permission to do otherwise- I'm also new to the school, and, well, I'm _not_ pissed off."

"You're... not angry?" Myeongwha said.

Emi shook her head.

"Of course not," Emi said. "I'm just pointing out where you're going wrong, as I think it's preferable to someone who gets offended and doesn't say it. I always hated it when people dislike something I do and don't come out and say it, their anger boiling like a pot on a stove with a lid on it."

"I do have a lot to learn about this country..." Myeongwha said. "I've only been here two weeks, but that's no excuse..."

"Maybe not, but it's not all that bad of a start," Emi said. "I'll let you in on a little secret; I ended up stepping on more toes in my first two weeks in Japan than you likely will in two years at this school."

"That must be quite something, Nakasuga-senpai," Myeonghwa said. "I hope to hear more about it at some point."

Emi nodded.

"One more thing," Emi said, "which is your first name and which is your last name? I know the concept of giving you family name first, but sometimes get confused as to whether people like you do that or do the Western order for my benefit."

"Choe is my family name, and Myeonghwa is my given name," Myeonghwa said. "Most people I know call me 'Myeonghwa'."

"I see," Emi said. "That's a Korean name, isn't it?"

"It is," Myeonghwa said. "But while my mother is Korean, my father was French."

Emi decided not to ask about the tense Myeonghwa used when describing her father, and instead decided to get to the relevant point- the obvious similaity between the two of them.

"I'm also half-foreign, so I'm partly in the same boat as you," Emi said. "The two of us are a long way from home, and doing things on the Japanese's terms in most regards. I'm just as much of a newcomer as you, so the fact that I'm a third-year only signifies that I'll only have a year to get used to this. So why not do things a way that's more familiar for us, Myeongwha?"

Myeonghwa felt surprised. Few she had met in Japan thus far had made either offer to her, so she eagerly accepted it.

Emi then extended her right hand, and Myeongwha took it.

"I'd be glad to, Emi," Myeongwha said, as they shook hands, before sitting down to eat together.

* * *

_Present day_

"Emi might be different from me in many ways, but she and I are similar when it comes to our experiences in Japan," Myeonghwa said. "That's why, even if we got off on the wrong foot, we did end up becoming friends."

"The unfortunate thing is that while the student body in this school is diverse, people are more likely to find friends who have something in common with them," Emi said. "And Myeongwha and I found common ground in our European halves, rather than our Asian halves."

Most of the others went silent. Looking around the school, one could see cliques of various nationalities. Myeonghwa had four separate sets of friends at her new school- those present at the moment, her French-speaking crewmates, a few of her classmates and the fellow members of her Bible study group. They had all heard of each other, but none of them knew each other especially well.

"That may be true, Emi," Satoha said. "But the idealist in me believes that we _all_ have that little bit in common, and that it's possible to meet someone from another culture and build a meaningful friendship. Right, Hao?"

Hao nodded.

"China has a more standardized set of tanks, done by our national industries," Satoha said. "There are differences between light, medium and heavy tanks, as well as between relatively cheap tanks and expensive ones, but it's not quite the same as the difference between a tankette and the Maus. And unlike other countries, there's no themes in our schools."

"I can imagine that it must have been an adjustment coming here," Megan said.

"I'd call it an eye-opening experience," Hao said. "When I first met with the coach, after winning the tournament in junior stage middle school, I started to realize how large the world was, and how much I had yet to see for myself."

* * *

_Last year_

Hao sat in the coach's office, discussing the possibility of transferring over.

"I am curious about one thing, though, Coach Windheim," Hao said in Japanese, as the subject of school life at Rinkai came up. "You said that 'unlike other schools,' your school didn't have a 'theme.' What do you mean by that?"

"Ah, you haven't heard?" Alexandra said. "It has become popular in many countries, although not China, to have schools themed after various nations. For example, in St. Gloriana, you would wear a uniform much like what British schoolgirls wear, have tea with your schoolmates, and be brought up as a proper English lady. And if you joined the tankery team, you would fight in English tanks from World War II, modified to be in compliance with tournament regulations."

"That seems interesting," Hao said. "But it's not like that, here?"

"Somewhat," Alexandra said. "There are schools that don't follow a theme, like Oarai Academy. But ours incorporates cultures and tanks from a variety of nations. And many of its incoming recruits have done tankery before."

"So " Hao said. "I look forward to learning from my senpais, as I think you put it."

Alexandra paused. In meetings like this, she often had to explain certain aspects of Rinkai to her potential recruits, whether because they were outside of what the recruits were familiar with in their respective countries, or because they did not fit their assumptions about Japanese culture and education.

"The idea of senpais and kohais isn't as firmly ingrained in Rinkai as it is in most Japanese schools," Alexandra said. "Older students do what they can to help out the younger ones, but there's far less of a distinction between them."

Hao nodded.

"Distinction or not, I do have a lot to learn," Hao said. "I'm looking forward to what you can teach me, so count me in."

Alexandra smiled, as she began to pull out the paperwork for Myeonghwa's transfer.

"There's little that makes a teacher happier than hearing that, Hao," Alexandra said.

* * *

_Present day_

"When my school won the tournament in China, I felt like I was on top of the world," Hao said. "But the world's quite a bit larger thanI had realized, and there's more to it. I think there's a saying, 'the frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean.'"

"Yeah," Nelly said.

"Tankery in Japan is a bit of an adjustment, but all in all, I like the different machines that are available," Hao said. "I also like getting exposed to other cultures here."

"Like the school festival?" Satoha said. "That was quite nice, and a lot of people had unique ideas for events and attractions, apart from their usual fare."

Alexandra nodded.

"It went quite well," Alexandra said, "considering that it was the first time some of those girls had ever been to, much less held, a school festival before."

"To me, things like that matter more than winning," Hao said. "I'm reminded of the time when that one girl abandoned a flag tank two years ago to save the lives of her teammates; she clearly knew what was most important, so I seek to make the same kinds of decisions."

Emi gave a smile that was halfway between one of warm appreciation and an amused smirk.

"Incidentally, 'that girl' happens to be Miho, the friend of mine I told you all about earlier," Emi said. "She accomplished something more important than winning that day, and became a hero."

The others nodded in approval, but much to Emi's surprise, the normally confident and easy-going Megan looked discomfited.

"So, if your friend's a hero, what does it make the girl who fired on the motionless flag tank?" Megan said. "A villain?"

Emi, caught off guard, shook her head.

"I don't think she knew what was going on until later, since Miho was out of the tank in the blink of an eye," Emi said. "But be honest, Meg; this isn't about Miho or the girl from Pravda, is it?"

"Well..." Megan said.

"I think I know what you're getting at, Megan," Alexandra said. "And before you say anything about that, I'd like to let you reiterate that I don't hold _that_ _incident_ against you. You also don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

The others silently concurred. Megan unwittingly admitting more about herself than she had intended had piqued their curiosity, but if she did not feel comfortable talking about it, they did not feel it was their right to pry.

Megan smiled appreciatively, but shook her head.

"I know, Coach, and I'm grateful for that," Megan said. "But now, I think the time has come to let the rest of you know why I'm here. So far, out of everyone in this room- and this school- the coach, Satoha and Aislinn are the only ones who know what happened."

Satoha, with whom Megan had a confidential meeting to discuss what had happened, and Aislinn, one of Megan's closest friends, nodded in understanding. The others perked up their ears and listened attentively, deciding to wait until after the end of the story to pass judgment on her.

"I'm originally from Georgia- the state, not Nelly's country," Megan said. "The school I attended, which represented the state and is about the same size as this school, competed in the tournament, alongside about 30 other schools with tankery teams."

"Wow, that's a lot of competition," Nelly said. She had an unbroken winning streak in her middle school years, but she realized that winning the American national tournament was something else entirely.

"This year was the first time in a decade that we'd made it to the finals," Megan said, "so a lot of the team was nervous about how things would go. The coach made it clear that we were not to slack off, and mistakes would not be tolerated. Ironically enough, though, we won the tournament because of a mistake- _my mistake._"

* * *

_Last year_

In a battlefield on the Mississippi River, Megan's school faced off against Lionheart Academy, a British-themed school that was the favorite to win the championship. In spite of the fact that Lionheart had won four times in the past decade, Megan's school was fighting evenly with them until until a distress call came over the radio.

"All tanks, Tank 12 has fallen in the water!" the commander said, having seen the tank go down herself. "Stop engaging the enemy and begin the rescue operation!"

Megan commanded the flag tank for her school, and ordered it to head toward the location to assist with the efforts, and seek safety with the other tanks.

En route to the river, however, Megan encountered the enemy flag tank, a Cromwell, growing closer to her, its gun warily trained in her direction.

Megan had heard rumors that the opposing school, Lionheart Girls' High School, had engaged in less than honorable behavior in the past, such as radio interception, getting members of enemy teams to serve as spies and so forth. A political cartoon had one Lionheart girl, dressed in a uniform and patterned after the previous commander stabbing her opponent with a blade concealed in the flagpole the same way a cane concealed a sword.

Some of the rumors were exaggerated, while others were based on facts, but Megan had no time to sort out which was which. Now, Megan had to make a decision that was critical to the match in seconds, even though such decisions were more often made with her gut than with her head. Would she trust the enemy's good intentions when they had proven treacherous before? Or would she hesitate and possibly regret it later?

In a single instant, Megan made her decision. Her team was expecting her to win, so that was what she would do. Once she had done that duty for her team, she would have all the time in the world to figure out the other flag tank's intentions.

"Fire on the tank!" Megan said, almost reflexively.

The gunner, who was in the same frame of mind as Megan, and one of the few who did not end up blaming her for what she did, fired, and stopped the advancing tank dead in its tracks, a few hundred yards from Megan's position.

The white flag raised on the tank. But then the tank opened and another person came out with a makeshift white flag of her own.

"What are you doing?" the commander of the enemy tank said. "We're here to _help_ you!"

Megan's jaw dropped in surprise, and she was speechless. Her mind barely registered the announcer declaring victory for her school. Her team had won, but could it truly be called a victory?

* * *

_Present day_

"In a somewhat controversial decision- even considering that most wins by decision in tankery matches usually are heavily disputed- the judges upheld the outcome of the game and declared my school the winner," Megan said. "Their ruling was that we had performed better over the course of the game, and that, whatever happened, we had fired a shot first without the enemy trying to retaliate. Of course, everyone knew what I'd done, so I didn't really take any pleasure in the victory."

"I heard about another such incident in the past," Emi said. "In that case, Nishizumi Maho fired on my sister's tank when it went to rescue one of her own, and I later found out that she did so unwittingly. I hated her at first, but I soon realized I didn't know the entire story, much less what kind of person she is. That's why I don't hold it against you, albeit partly because I never had a dog in that fight."

"Well, you're a hell of a lot more understanding than my teammates," Megan said. "At least you admit that you were never there."

"So they threw you and your crew under the bus, Meg?" Nelly said. "I suppose they wanted to do something about the person responsible for the sake of their reputation, but this is just too cruel."

"It ended up not being so bad," Megan said. "The coach came by and they recommended me for a transfer to Rinkai without telling any lies. But I knew their ulterior motive- getting rid of me- and I was leery about this at first."

* * *

_Last year_

Megan met with Alexandra in a meeting room in her school's athletics office. The coach had called her there after practice, giving only the bare minimum explanation that someone wanted to see her.

As Megan walked in, wearing a white cowboy T-shirt and blue jeans, while seeing Alexandra in a dark pantsuit with a white dress shirt and silver necktie, she felt somewhat under-dressed.

"(Thank you for coming,)" Alexandra said in English, standing up from her chair to greet her. "(My name is Alexandra Windheim, and I am coach of the Rinkai tankery team.)"

Alexandra extended her hand for a handshake. When recruiting students from different cultural backgrounds, she had to be mindful of different countries' standards of etiquette. In the first few minutes of meeting someone, factors such as whether to exchange bows or shake hands, how to address them and so forth.

"(I'm Megan Davin,)" Megan said, shaking hands with Alexanddra. "(It's nice to meet you, Coach Windheim.)"

"(Likewise,)" Alexandra said. "(Do you mind if I call you Megan?)"

"(Don't see why not,)" Megan said. "(My teachers and parents call me Megan, while my friends call me Meg.)"

Alexandra nodded.

"(Very well, Megan,)" Alexandra said. "(You can have a seat over there."

As Alexandra took a seat at the head of the table, Megan sat on her right.

"(Your teammates speak highly of you, Megan,)" Alexandra said, as she sat in a chair in front of the desk and motioned for Megan to have a seat. "(They said that you were responsible for making a snap decision that enabled them to win the finals.)"

"(That's a lie,)" Megan said in a blunt and bitter tone, before clearing her throat and correcting herself. "(Or, rather, it's a half-truth, in a sense.)"

"(What do you mean?)" Alexandra said.

"(I did get the winning shot, but while mistaking it for a tank that was advancing on our position,)" Megan said. "(And perhaps they'd be happy to see me go off somewhere, but they're probably not very choosy. When you litter, you just toss a piece of trash, not caring where it lands or what happens to it.)"

"(You know, littering has always disgusted me," Alexandra said. "And to be honest, Megan, I had heard about what had happened. You know what it's like to make a decision under pressure and come to regret that decision, so I believe this will be a valuable learning experience. And the fact that you helped your team get this far means you have a great amount of skill. I've also heard that you have good grades in your Japanese foreign language elective, which is quite a useful skill)."

Megan nodded appreciatively.

"(So am I the only student coming all this way to this school of yours?)" Megan said.

"(No,)" Alexandra said, immediately after Megan had finished speaking. "(There are several others coming here, some of whom are also American. Naturally, a few of them are still weighing their decisions, and have yet to get back to me, but if you accept, you'll likely end up going to school with some girls like you.)"

As Alexandra told Megan more about the school, Megan pondered the decision. She had reasons to be doubtful of Rinkai, but she had to wonder why they would need her, and why they would look to someone like her.

Megan's expression turned discomfited for a moment, as Alexandra shifted to what they expected of her. None of the individual expectations, from specific ones like wearing a unifom, to general ones, like respecting others' cultures, seemed too onerous, but Megan realized, too late, that her expression did not convey that message to Alexandra.

"(Is something wrong, Megan?)" Alexandra said.

"(No, ma'am,)" Megan said. "(I don't want you to get the impression that what you were saying turned me off. I actually think all that is quite reasonable to ask of us.)"

"(That's good to hear,)" Alexandra said. "(I don't expect you to make a decision today, or to do so without any reservations.)"

Megan nodded. While she couldn't shake off some of her doubts, so far, Alexandra had seemed entirely honest and forthcoming.

"(I'll think about it, Coach,)" Megan said. "(I appreciate you reaching out to me, even if I'm not entirely sure why you'd choose me.)"

"(Thank you,)" Alexandra said. "(Here's my business card. I'm going to be visiting a few other places, but feel free to let me know what your final decision is.)"

Megan and Alexandra stood up, shook hands and walked out of the office together.

* * *

_Present day_

"I talked with my parents and coach, and thought over this decision, but I did end up accepting," Megan said.

"You weren't entirely happy with it, Meg?" Myeonghwa said.

"Well, yeah, for two reasons," Megan said. "I did think I'd be letting my teammates win, in a sense. They wanted me out of the school, and by leaving, I'd given them the satisfaction."

"More satisfaction than using you as a punching bag?" Emi said.

Megan shrugged.

"I don't know, but that's not the only reason," Megan said, "The second reason is that I thought I'd end up in a ship full of misfits, failures and rejects, if my being recruited was indicative of the quality of the students. The coach seemed pretty optimistic, but I wasn't sure how well founded that was."

"I'm hardly surprised, Megan," Alexandra said. "I read between the lines of what you were saying well enough, a necessary skill when communicating across cultures"

Aislinn shook her head and then began drawing on her pad.

She first showed Megan a rough drawing of her wearing a t-shirt and jeans, with light shading on Megan's face to indicate her darker skin tone. Then Aislinn added a picture of herself in her old school uniform, followed by each of the others. All of them wore stereotypical outfits of their countries, with Satoha wearing a kimono, Hao wearing a qipao, Emi wearing a dirndl, Myeonghwa wearing a Catholic schoolgirl uniform, Nelly wearing a Georgian dress and Alexandra wearing her suit.

"So I'm no different from the others, right, Aislinn?" Megan said. "That's certainly true, even if it took me a while to figure that out."

"Yes," Aislinn said.

"You understood her picture so easily?" Hao said.

Aislinn used the dry eraser she carried with her, and divided the white board into two. On one, she drew a picture of herself smiling as she listened to Satoha speaking Japanese- literally, as the speech bubble contained the word for Japanese. On the other half, Aislinn had the same speech bubble, but frowned as she said it.

"Aislinn understands Japanese just fine," Megan said. "But it's more difficult for her to actually express herself in Japanese as easily as she does in English. So she's fine with using Japanese to hear commands, give responses, and so forth, but when talking about herself, she likes to draw."

"You've gotten better at it since you first came here, Meg," Satoha said. "I know because I also had to learn German."

"Thanks, Satoha," Megan said, "but it's certainly different going to another country. Since Aislinn and I had that in common, we got to know each other easily. And if we had that much in common, I started to warm up to this school."

* * *

_Earlier that year_

Shortly after Megan's arrival at Rinkai, she met with the coach. in the tankery garage. Megan was wearing her uniform.

"Reporting in, coach," Megan said.

"It's good to see you here, Megan," Alexandra said in Japanese before continuing in English. "(Megan, am I correct in assuming that you speak English better than Japanese?)"

"(Yes, ma'am)," Megan said. "I can converse with most people in Japanese, but feel like I just started)."

"(You're not the only one in that situation,)" Alexandra said, and ushered her over to meet Aislinn.

"(This is Aislinn Wisheart,)" Alexandra said in English. "(She's from New Zealand's Eagle High School, which won the tournament last year.)"

"(Nice to meet you, Aislinn,)" Megan said, then paused, remembering how she had been too familiar with others in the past. "(You don't mind if I call you that, do I?)"

"(Not at all,)" Aislinn said. "(I'm actually glad to hear someone get my first name right...)"

Megan nodded. Many other students from other countries had long and difficult to pronounce names. Nelly, after hearing her homeroom teacher mispronounce her last name for the umpteenth time, proposed that her teacher call her "Nelly-san" instead.

"(Megan Davin)," Megan said. "(My friends call me Meg.)"

"(Nice to meet you, Meg,)" Aislinn said. Shifting her drawing pad to her right hand, she extended her hand, and Megan took it and shook it. As they withdrew their hands, Megan took note of the pad.

"(What's with the drawing pad)?" Megan said.

"(It's a way I use to communicate with others,)" Aislinn said. "(I can speak Japanese, but it's not always easy to say excatly what I want to say.)"

"(I see,)" Megan said "(It's not really practical in a tank, though)."

"(I know,)" Aislinn said. "(But I'm glad to find someone who's in a similar situation as I am.)"

"(Yeah)," Megan said.

"(Still, there are times when showing someone an image is a lot more powerful than saying something)" Aislinn said. "(My favorite graphic novel is one that has no text, only images, and is about a man who's stuck on an island.)"

"(You're a fan of Marooned, too?)" Megan said, immediately recognizing the story and amazed that someone else liked it. "(I should have known; you're from the author's home country)."

"(Thanks, but I heard it's mainly popular in America)," Aislinn said. "(Because it sold so well in the States, it's getting a movie adaptation.)"

"(I know, and I'm excited)", Megan said. "(Some people are complaining that it's in live action, but I saw the trailer and it seems quite well made, like the part when the main character...)"

Megan and Aislinn continued talking cheerfully until reaching the mutual realization that they should get back on task. But once they did, Megan noticed that they were talking normally. Perhaps they were from different countries, but they spoke the same language and had common ground. Perhaps for Megan, this school was not a place for her exile, but a chance to start over.

* * *

_Present day_

"When I talked with Aislinn, I learned a few things," Megan said. "The first is that the school wasn't as much of a dumping ground for pariahs as I thought. The second was that there were people I had a great deal in common with, even among the many people of different nationalities."

"I agree, Meg," Myeonghwa said. "My crew consists of a few other French speakers. The Bible study group I attend on Sundays has Christians of several different nationalities and denominations. And, of course, there's everyone here. All of you are people I never would have met if I had not come to this school, so I'm glad for this opportunity."

"Yeah," Emi said. "Still, with all this diversity, it does seem like kind of a waste that the commander has to be Japanese, doesn't it? Back in Germany, nobody cared that Satoha was an exchange student, or that she'd be returning to Japan for her last year of high school when they made her commander."

"There was a bit of debate over how to select the commander," Alexandra said. "Some of our sponsors wanted a commander from another country, while others were more leery of including foreigners, and still others believed that results should matter most of all. In the end, as a compromise of sorts, they decided that the commander had to be Japanese. Under those circumstances, and with the standards we have, Satoha was the most viable of all the possible candidates."

"Yeah, I agree," Megan said. "The rule isn't exactly fair, but I've noticed that becoming commander's often about who you know."

Megan's thoughts went back to her old school. Their newest commander, Janice Lee, one of Megan's yearmates, had a knack for cozying up to the right people. When Megan became commander of her team, Janice was significantly more interested in talking with her. Megan, knowing about Janice's reputation, remained somewhat wary, and her suspicion was vindicated when Janice turned on her after the incident in the finals. As such, Megan had no interest in the commander position if achieving it required her to take such measures, but she hoped her American peers and other Rinkai transfer students would have a shot at it.

"Is it really a coincidence that our largest contributors happen to be the most persuasive?" Emi said.

"I don't think so," Nelly said. "But is this really so unnatural, Emi? There's a saying that 'he who pays the piper calls the tune,' you know. When people or organizations give you their money, they expect you to make good use of it."

"That's true, Nelly," Alexandra said. "But at the same time, their demands aren't especially onerous. We're meant to do well in the tournament, not necessarily take first place or achieve perfection. We're also expected to attract members and retain a relatively large number of students. It's mostly what's expected of any good tankery team anyway."

Satoha nodded in agreement. What Alexandra described was the one part of Rinkai's mission that had resonated with her the most, and the main reason that motivated her to give her all to succeed, day in and day out.

"I see what you mean, Coach," Nelly said. "But I'm here in large part because of the generosity of others. That's why I want to prove that I deserve to be here, as a way of paying them back. The same applies to the school"

Emi sighed and conceded the point. She had some inkling of why Nelly seemed so concerned with what the sponsors thought, even if Nelly was hesitant to talk about why she needed the scholarship as badly as she did.

"Well, in the end, I think the requirement for a native Japanese commander is a stupid rule," Emi said. "But Satoha's a smart choice for commander, even without the rule in place, and I'm grateful that they're willing to let me serve as her vice-captain, like i did back in Germany."

Emi thought back to two years ago, when she and Satoha were in Germany. When the positions of commander and vice-captain had opened up at the end of the year before last, Emi and Satoha both applied for the commander position, hoping that one of them would get it, and the other would be her vice captain. In the end, Satoha was chosen because while the two were both among the top of the school in terms of tactics and strategy, Satoha was significantly better at the interpersonal and leadership aspects of commanding, not unlike how Miho was when she and Emi did tankery together. Emi wholeheartedly agreed with that decision then and now, and her belief was reflected in her statement.

"I see," Alexandra said. "I'm glad you're being a good sport about this, Emi."

"Thank you, Coach," Emi said. "I'm not one for empty praise, but it's nice to be thanked for the things that most people take for granted."

Alexandra nodded.

"The sponsors approve of our progress so far," Alexandra said. "Despite getting a less than advangtageous position- purely by chance, I might add- we have so far defeated all three of our opponents, including Saunders."

"That does remind me..." Satoha said, "Didn't Oarai have to prove itself?"

"From what Miho said, it's still in the process of doing so again this year," Emi said. "They want to prove that their win last year wasn't a fluke, and they still deserve their reputation as a school that can triumph as an underdog."

"That sounds about right," Satoha said. "I hope they never forget their status as an underdog, and never stop trying to improve. There will always be strong challengers, so they'll constantly have to improve in order to take them on."

The other members silently concurred. They believed that, like with Oarai, the day would come when their school went from being a newcomer that was desperate to prove itself to an established school, fighting to protect its reputation, and hoped that when it did, they, too, could boast of winning the championship in their first attempt.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Somewhat similar to Pravda's interlude, this was another interlude with multiple characters' POVs; since Satoha and Emi have already had their backstories revealed, now it's time for the secondary Rinkai cast. In stark contrast to Pravda's interlude, which wasn't "paired" with other interludes that told similar sections of the backstory (Saki and Teru, Nodoka and Achiga, Miho and Maho, and Mihoko and Hisa), this goes with the interlude about Miho's old friends, to some degree.

Edited to add a little to the end, including why Emi is content with not being commander.

**Character Analysis: Choe Myeonghwa**

Myeonghwa has the most detailed backstory so far in canon (albeit which is brought up briefly in Chapter 119), leaving the most to work with. She thus has a motivation to become independent, and while she has come some ways as a result of the school ship system, it seems likely that, since she's studying abroad in canon, she'd also want to go farther before she's truly satisfied.

Myeonghwa's desire to help her mother has some resemblance to Mako's intention to care for her grandmother, and the two will end up meeting each other and finding out how much they have in common.

**Character Analysis: Megan Davin**

Canonically, Megan seems to bear regret from her taking a cowardly act (sinking another school under 0 so that she would advance without having to deal with "Cold" Touka), so much so that she hopes to take a challenge even if it's not practical for the team. She also has a tendency to angst, even if she doesn't always show it.

I suspect her decision can be compared to Katyusha's decision to fire on Miho's abandoned tank, although without Katyusha's arrogance and foundation of self-confidence, Megan's self-esteem suffered a serious blow. Proving herself an asset to her team has helped, but she still has yet to turn her focus fully to the present and future.

**Character Analysis: Nelly Virsaladze**

Nelly seems slightly childish and playful, with a slightly aggressive streak as far as mahjong goes. She also has an odd preoccupation with money, and is concerned with what the sponsors of the team think. At this point, in absence of a flashback for or exposition about her, it's anyone's guess where this comes from, but perhaps she's committed to her school's mission in her own way and for her own reasons, as she is here.

**Character Analysis: Alexandra Windheim**

As Rinkai's coach, Alexandra has a difficult job, somewhat similar to canon. Her team has to prove itself to keep the support of their sponsors, and as such, she tends to be somewhat pragmatic. In canon, she unhesitatingly vetoes Megan's request to try out a new style, saying that it's too much of a risk and wanting the school to shine in the finals, causing Megan to be somewhat depressed at how bluntly Alexandra dismisses good sportsmanship as nothing more than good words. Of course, she's not necessarily a bad person, or even as harsh as someone like Shiho is; she does care for her students, wants them to succeed, and as such, gives them the best advice and coaching she can so that they can perform as well as possible.


	25. A Meeting of Nations

**Chapter 18: A Meeting of Nations**

As Rinkai had made a name for itself with its past victories, they had gained Oarai's attention even before Oarai knew for certain that they would have to face them in the semifinals.

While having dinner at Miho's apartment the night before their semi-finals match, Oarai discussed their next opponent. Since it was none of them had seen before this year, it was outside of Miho's experience, but her analysis as an experienced tanker, and someone who had also commanded a newcomer team, would prove useful.

"So what kind of tankery team does Rinkai have, anyway?" Saori said as she served the food.

"Apparently, it's a school with a large number of exchange students," Miho said. "It's the top choice for foreign exchange students, because of its strong Japanese As A Second Language program and good academics. Now, they're forming a tankery team composed of many people who did well in their home countries. Some of them, including their commander and vice-captain, also won their countries' national tournaments."

"That's what I heard, too, Nishizumi-dono," Yukari said. "I heard that apart from the exchange students, a large portion of the tankers are first-years who did tankery in middle school."

"That's true, Yukari-san," Miho said. "Prior to this year, most of the students who did tankery in middle school went elsewhere for high school, to high schools where they could continue their tankery careers. But even now, a large portion of those who might otherwise be considering Rinkai would prefer to go to schools with established teams. It's natural for those who would want to do tankery."

The others nodded. Not only Miho was only still doing tankery because her new school just happened to get back into it, relatively few of those who arrived at Oarai last year had much tankery experience. Part of the reason Miho hoped to do well this year was so that many new students, including those who had done tankery before, would choose to come to Oarai.

"Indeed," Hana said. "But at the same time, some of the students at Rinkai apparently won the national tournaments in their home countries, before coming to a new tankery team in Japan. Perhaps not everyone simply wants to move on to larger and better teams."

"Yeah, but we also won our national tournament," Mako said. "How does our accomplishment stack up with theirs?"

"That's a good question, Mako-san," Miho said. "The level of competition varies from country to country. Germany has many strong tankery teams, as well as tankery programs in elementary school. Emi-chan once thought we in Japan were just playing around by comparison, but this was before she learned more about the Nishizumi school and its methods."

The group silently nodded. By now, Miho's family's school required no further explanation, although it was somewhat surprising that Emi was used to programs that were perhaps closer to the rest of Miho's family's approach to tankery than Miho's own approach to tankery.

"So they didn't necessarily have an easy time accomplishing what they did," Saori said. "But did none of them come from a school that's as much of an underdog as ours?"

Miho shook her head.

"No, I don't think so," Miho said. "One article I read seemed to indicate that many of them came from strong schools, and some of those who came from schools without much of a tankery team were from the stronger schools in their country."

"I know," Yukari said. "There was this one girl from Georgia- whose name I can't pronounce- who was commander for her school's team. She apparently competed in a handful of exhibition matches with no more than 10 tanks per side... and won every one."

Miho nodded.

"Our victory in the national tournament is no longer so special compared to what they have accomplished," Miho said. "At the same time, though, we have almost always been at a disadvantage against our opponents in one way or another- numbers, manpower, experience or luck. Let's overcome these disadvantages once again."

* * *

On the morning of the match with Rinkai, Anglerfish Team, in their tank, dropped by to pick up Mako. As soon as Mako heard the clattering of the tank, she opened the door and walked out, wearing her school uniform and carrying her tankery uniform.

"Good morning, Mako," Saori said as Mako came.

"Morning, Saori," Mako said. "Luckily for you, I'm already up."

The others simply smiled and nodded. Mako's normally low blood pressure had improved from doing tankery, and with it, her punctuality. As a result, they no longer needed to resort to extreme measures to wake her other residents of the neighborhood were quite thankful for this, since it meant that they could sleep in and enjoy peace and quiet.

As Mako was about to get in the Panzer IV, she got a call on her cell phone. Picking it up, she recognized that it was her grandmother calling.

"One second, Grandma's calling me," Mako said.

"Feel free to take it, Mako-san," Miho said. "We have time."

While her tone was reassuring, Miho was privately worried what sort of news the call would have for Maho, considering what had happened the last time she had gotten an unexpected call from her home shortly before a tankery match.

With a nod, Mako took the call.

"Hello?" Mako said.

"Hello, Mako," Hisako said. "I hope I'm not waking you up."

"No, Grandma," Mako said. "I've been up for some time, and my friends are picking me up right now."

"I should hope so," Hisako said. "You can't always force Saori-chan and the others to get you to wake up on time, and I'm sure that Sodoko girl is tired of lecturing you for being late almost every morning."

Mako considered pointing out that Sodoko had graduated at the end of last year, but decided that was irrelevant at the moment.

"Right, right," Mako said, not wanting to get dragged into another argument with her mother, especially not when she suspected that there was something more important to discuss. "But that isn't why you called, is it, Grandma?

"No, unfortunately," Hisako said. "I'm not feeling especially well today, so I won't be able to come see your match in person."

Mako sighed in disappointment, but noticed that her grandmother seemed oddly evasive. Something seemed odd about her voice, but it was difficult to tell over the phone.

"Are you alright, Grandma?" Mako said. "Usually, you can insist that you're absolutely fine, and that the doctors are making mountains out of molehills."

"Well, I don't feel that bad," Hisako said. "But I can't just ignore it this time. Hopefully, I'll be feeling better for the finals, and, of course, you'll be competing in them, too. The latter's what matters, so don't you dare lose this match on my account."

"Got it," Mako said.

"That said..." Hisako said. "I won't always be around to watch you. At some point, you should become motivated to do things on your own, not because someone else is nagging you to do them. In any case, I believe winning the semifinals and passing at the top of your class are within your ability, so prove me right and do them. But don't do them for my sake or because you feel you owe it to your late parents, but because you can and because they're worth doing."

"I know," Mako said. "Goodbye for now, Grandma, and I hope you feel better soon."

Mako hung up and turned off her cell phone. She then turned to her friends, who were trying not to eavesdrop, but were having trouble making sense of what they heard.

"Grandma can't make it this time," Mako said. "She's not feeling very well."

"That's a surprise," Saori said. "Your grandma's usually energetic, and loath to give any indication of vulnerability. Is something wrong?"

Mako shrugged.

"I don't know what's going on, and I suspect Grandma isn't telling me everything," Mako said, "but I didn't want to get in a fight with her, since her blood pressure's high enough already. For now, I'll turn off my cell phone and wait until after the match. Let's win this match so that I have some good news to tell Grandma."

"That's the spirit," Miho said, as the girls got in the tank and drove to the rendezvous point near the ramp.

* * *

Rinkai's ship pulled into port in Tokyo, which happened to be Rinkai's home port. The tanks were unloaded and transported to the battlefield, an urban combat area outside the city.

When the entire process was done, Alexandra met with her team's commanders.

"I have to meet with the organizers," Alexandra said, "so that I can discuss getting the broadcast going."

The others nodded. Rinkai, working in conjunction with those who were holding the matches, offered streaming of the tankery matches for the families of those who could not make it to the match or see them on television. While the parents of Japanese schoolchildren could easily arrange travel to their children's matches, it was another matter entirely for many families of Rinkai students, who often lived half the world away from where their children were going to school.

"The match isn't for a while, though," Satoha said.

"In that case, feel free to relax until the time for the match comes again," Alexandra said. "You can even talk with the other team, as long as you remember, 'loose lips sink ships.' Of course, it would be a potentially good opportunity for you to meet Japanese tankers."

"Thank you, Coach," Emi said. "There's a certain someone I'd like to see again, and also many others I'd like to meet."

* * *

In the pre-match preparation, Maho walked over and found Miho's friends.

"Hello, Miho," Maho said. "I'm glad I could come to watch your match this time."

"It's good to see you came, Onee-chan," Miho said. "Did Mother come, too?"

"She did," Maho said. "She's meeting with an associate of hers, so I was able to get away for a few minutes to talk with you. As for my team, we have a day off."

"That's good to hear," Miho said. "And I'm glad to see you here to watch us today, Onee-chan."

"It's nice to see you and your friends again," Maho said, "and under better circumstances than last time."

Yukari nodded. She remembered the last time she had talked with Maho, after the previous tournament's semifinals, and gotten to know her better as a person. Unfortunately, that encounter had given her an idea of how troubled Miho's family truly was.

"If I may ask, though," Yukari said, "how is Nishizumi-dono's current family situation?"

"As far as I know, our mother has abandoned all plans to disown Miho," Maho said. "That said, Mother's first priority remains restoring her school and her alma mater's good names. She is currently rooting for Black Forest to win the tournament, proving itself against Oarai or Rinkai."

Hana sighed disapprovingly. The sentiment reminded her of her mother at her worst, without the same warmth and amicability that her mother also possessed. Yuri had once cast her daughter out of her family for the sake of her ideals, but had come to regret it- the fact that Shiho showed no apparent remorse for her attitude toward Miho was troubling.

"As an Isuzu, I have some idea of what it means to have a family-run school, and pass down your responsibilities to your children," Hana said. "But I still cannot approve of viewing Miho-san that way, or wishing for her failure for the sake of the school; she is still her mother's daughter, even if she cannot be he heiress. Perhaps it is because flower arranging does not have the same competitive element as tankery, but that is how I feel at heart, and I do not believe it can easily be changed."

"No, you're not wrong to think that," Maho said. "But as Mother's heiress, I, too, have to keep my private life and professional self separate. Last year, as much as I personally hoped Miho would succeed, it was my duty as the commander of Black Forest and the inheritor of the Nishizumi school to win in the name of my high school and family school, roles I assumed so Miho would not have to. Do you all understand that much?"

The others nodded. What Miho had told them provided a look into the workings of the Nishizumi family, albeit from the perspective of someone who wanted no part in the family school. Miho's friends found it easy to understand why she felt that way.

"Yeah, I've got some idea," Mako said. "In life, you certainly have to do many things you don't want to do. But still, you also have to look out for your family members, and I'm glad you're thinking of Miho with so much else on your plate."

"That's certainly true," Maho said. "This may sound like an unrelated tangent, but may I ask how your grandmother's doing?"

Mako paused to think for a moment.

"She recovered from her fall last year," Mako said. "In that regard, at least, she's doing well."

"I'm glad to hear that," Maho said. "But what do you mean?"

"Never mind," Mako said.

Maho glanced at Miho, who shook her head. Maho let off a soft sigh and decided not to pursue the line of questioning any further.

"So where were we?" Saori said. "Were you about to say something about Miporin's family situation?"

"Not really," Maho said. "I described the essential situation- one that's been this way for a long time, and cannot be easily changed. That said, I'm glad that all of you have been here for Miho. I don't see much of her these days, so it's good to hear that she has close friends at her new school."

The others nodded approvingly.

"Good to see you're all getting along here," Emi said, making her presence known. "If there's one thing I know about you, Miho, it's that you've always strongly wanted those close to you to get along with each other."

Miho nodded. Her first group of tankery related friends had gotten off to a rough start because of an argument between Chihiro and Emi, and had been shaken by an argument between her and Emi over Emi's hatred for Maho. Back then, Miho had quite a few people she valued in different ways, and she hoped that they would get along with each other the same way they got along with her.

"That's quite true, Emi-chan," Miho said. "I'm glad to see you're here."

"How are things going for Rinkai?" Yukari said.

"We're in the process of setting up, but the match isn't for a while," Emi said. "So we're taking the opportunity to meet the members of the other team."

Nodoka walked over, talking with Satoha. Having gotten to know the opposing commander, Nodoka was hoping to meet her opposite number on the Rinkai team.

"Ah, there you are, Nakasuga-san," Nodoka said. "I was hoping I might find you here."

"So was I, Haramura-san," Emi said. "I met some of your friends in the previous round; it seemed as though they fought hard last year just to see you again."

Nodoka politely nodded. She had hoped to face them again this year, without the same stakes as last year, but she did not begrudge Emi for defeating them, especially considering that Emi hoped to face Miho for similar reasons.

"I know," Nodoka said. "But what about you, Nakasuga-san? Didn't your leaving your school and your country mean leaving your old friends behind?"

"Well, Satoha's probably my best friend from Germany, so I was glad I was coming back to Japan with her," Emi said. "But as for the others, I recognize that life takes me certain places, and so did they." Emi paused. "Of course, I was glad to see Miho, Hitomi and Chihiro again for the first time in years."

"As was I, Emi-chan," Miho said.

Almost on cue, Hitomi and Chihiro arrived.

"Looks like we made it in time, Miho-chan, Emi-chan," Chihiro said.

"It's nice that you're here, Hitomi-chan, Chihiro-chan," Miho said. "I'd like to introduce you to my friends."

Miho went about introducing her old friends and her new ones, who exchanged bows after hearing one another's names.

"It's nice to meet you, Yuzumoto-san, Yusa-san," Hana said. "We heard a great deal about you, and how you did tankery with Miho-san in the past."

"Yeah," Saori said. "Miho once said you were a lot like us in a sense, being relative amateurs."

"That's true," Hitomi said. "Tankery was the first thing I tried hard at, even if I couldn't try as hard as many of the Nishizumis."

"Miho always had fun with tankery," Emi said, "even if the Nishizumi style was too strict and harsh for her. The obvious solution was to find a way that she could enjoy doing it, even if it wasn't a short or easy process. When I realized that both Maho and I had that in common, I actually started to like her."

Hana nodded. While she had grown dissatisfied for flower arranging for a time, tankery had not only helped her find her own style, but also reminded her of how much she loved it.

"That being said," Emi said, "many of my teammates are similar to Miho. They're determined but not obsessed, and are also the champions in their respective nations. They'll put up quite a fight today."

Miho paused to consider what Emi had said. Emi had met most of those girls on her team less than a year ago, but she had come to trust all of them, some of whom were new friends. That trust was forged as a result of the many battles they had fought together and was necessary to win said battles. Miho found Emi's sentiment touching, in large part because it was one she shared with her own school. Her teammates had come through for her in her absence, and she believed they could do so again.

"So will mine, Emi-chan," Miho said with a confident smile.

* * *

The rest of the Rinkai team split up and decided to meet with various members of the Oarai team. One of them, Hao, went in search of Sparrow Team, having heard that its members had interests that were similar to hers.

"Is it true that all of you are part of the Oarai mahjong club?" Hao said, after introducing herself.

"Were," Mutsuki said. "Around the same time that the tankery team was launched, the mahjong club was shut down. We initially participated in hopes of re-establishing our club, only to find that we had to win the tournament, lest our school would ."

Hao nodded.

"Yes, I've heard; those are certainly unusual circumstances," Hao said. "But now what? What happens now that you've succeeded?"

Mutsuki paused for a moment to formulate her answer. She had frequently been asked- and asked herself- that question. Sparrow Team's efforts had accomplished a great deal, but not the purpose for which they had originally been formed.

"We still do hope to get the club re-established," Mutsuki said. "But we're also continuing a tradition of helping to represent the school in tankery. It may be a different game than mahjong, but we're still competing for our school, and so we do our best."

"I see," Hao said. "Mahjong is something of a hobby of mine; I considered joining the club at my school, but for two reasons. The first is the schedule conflict with tankery; I like mahjong, but I wouldn't choose that over tankery. The second is that I'm not as familiar with riichi mahjong, which is what my school's club primarily does."

"Primarily?" Hiroko said.

"I heard there's an offshoot of the club that meets on Sundays and plays Chinese mahjong," Hao said, "but since it's not part of the club and attendance isn't mandatory, there's relatively few people there."

_"You could say the same about us," _Anko thought. _"And yet, I've come to realize that even this fairly small, humble and defunct club is fun to be around, so perhaps you should give them a chance."_

Anko, however, did not voice her thoughts out loud. She believed Hao had figured out that much about their club already, and in the end, the answer of whether to join that offshoot or do riichi mahjong was one that she could only make herself, for her own reasons.

"Well, it's always nice to broaden your horizons," Kaori said. "I was once a newcomer to mahjong and tankery, before my childhood friend, Satomi-chan, got me started."

"I see," Hao said. "I might give riichi mahjong a try some time. With over two years left at Rinkai, I have a lot of time to try new things."

"That's good to hear~su," Momo said. "Perhaps we might be your opponents in that."

Hao nodded, pleased. Even in a school very different from the one that she had left, and in some ways, even the one that she now attended, she had common ground with some of the participants. Perhaps they were her opponents in this match, but they might potentially become her friends as well.

* * *

During the mingling, as the members of Anglerfish Team went their separate ways, Mako encountered Myeonghwa, and they exchanged introductions.

"Which one's your family name?" Mako said. "I know Koreans put the family name first, but I'm not sure if you're used to introducing yourself with Western order."

"Good question, Reizei-san," Myeonghwa said. "I sometimes have to specify it myself. Myeonghwa is my given name, and Choe is my family name"

Suddenly, Myeonghwa's phone began to ring. Mako quickly checked her pockets, but confirmed that her phone was still off. She looked up, and then saw Myeonghwa answering her own phone.

_"Ah, right, that's not my ringtone,_" Mako thought.

"(Hello?)" Myeonghwa said in Korean.

"(Hello, Myeongwha)," Professor Choe said. "(I'm calling to let you know I'm watching for the stream. But did I get you in the middle of something)?"

"(Yes)," Myeongwha said, "(I'm having a pleasant conversation with a member of the opposing team,)"

"(I see, then I won't keep you,)" Myeongwha's mother said. "(Good luck, Myeongwha, and please tell your new friend that I'm interested in seeing how she does.)"

"(Thanks, Mom,)" Myeongwha said.

Myeongwha hung up and turned back to Mako.

"I'm sorry about that," Myeongwha said. "Normally, I wouldn't take the call, but this was one that I had been expecting."

"That's not really a problem," Mako said. "I've turned off my cell phone, though. But I'm curious; who was that?"

"It was just my mother, calling to wish me good luck," Myeongwha said. "She's fairly busy with her job as a professor at a university in France. In spite of that, she'll be coming by to watch me in the finals, as she has a talk to give in Japan. That's why I want to win this round; so that she can come watch me live."

An oddly wistful expression appeared on Mako's face.

"Is something the matter, Reizei-san?" Myeonghwa said.

"Nothing," Mako said, but continued after a beat. "Actually, my grandma was going to come watch me, but wasn't able to this time. Oddly enough, she usually catches my matches, even if she has to do so on TV.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Myeonghwa said. "Is anyone else in your family coming?"

Mako's silence told Myeonghwa more than any way she knew to say "no" ever could. Her suspicions had been raised when Mako gave a somewhat incomplete answer to her previous question, but this answer confirmed that this was not a line of questioning she should be pursuing.

"I apologize, Reizei-san," Myeonghwa said, deeply bowing in apology. "I didn't mean to pry."

"Please don't, Choe-san," Mako said. "Deaths in the family can be difficult subjects, but not everyone likes it when people walk on eggshells around that subject."

"That's true," Myeonghwa said. For a moment, she wondered whether Mako knew about her father, but she realized that it did not matter. Mako was speaking from personal experience, and had reached the same conclusion Myeonghwa had.

"I will say, though, your mom seems like a nice person," Mako said in the hopes of changing the subject. "And while I'm going to give my all for the team, even if it's not always easy for me, I do sympathize with you."

Myeonghwa smiled and nodded.

"I wish you the best, Reizei-san," Myeonghwa said, as the two exchanged bows and parted ways.

* * *

The two sides came together for the pre-match greetings, which largely seemed to be a formality at this point, with few words exchanged apart from wishing each other luck, after both sides had bowed, and Miho and Satoha had shaken hands.

Miho looked around and saw the Rinkai tankers. While their school was new to tankery, most of them had some degree of experience, and some of them were once champions in their home countries. This was a far cry from Oarai's humble beginnings, and proof that Rinkai could not be taken lightly, not when Bosporu, Continuance and Saunders had all fallen against the newcomer in spite of trying their hardest.

The world was a large place, and as much as Oarai had accomplished, it still had room to improve. Miho knew that many of Rinkai's tankers had that in mind when coming together to a foreign country, along with keeping an open mind to how school and tankery would be different. Because of that, they would not be taken off guard easily and would not be vulnerable to complacency or arrogance.

But Miho believed that just as she and her school had risen to the challenge many times in the past and emerged stronger, they could do so again. Perhaps their contestant this time was new, but her school's skill and resilience remained a constant, so Miho felt prepared to face whatever challenges would come her way.

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

Thank you for the favorites and follows.

This is another chapter that leads in to a battle, allowing the combatants to face each other.

Incidentally, in canon, Rinkai is from East Tokyo in canon (Shiraitodai's from West Tokyo, where the tournament's held; Saki's goal in the first anime series is to make it to the nationals so that she can see her sister again, since her sister moved to Tokyo).

As for the other schools, here's the prefectures they represent, along with where the Saki characters in them are from.

Oarai: Ibaraki Prefecture, although there are some (apart from Miho, who transferred out of Black Forest), who aren't from Ibaraki- namely, all of Leopon Team except Hoshino.

St. Gloriana: They represent Kanagawa. The Kazekoshi characters are from Nagano Prefecture.

Saunders: Nagasaki (I had them represent Nara in this fic, because of the Achiga cast). Apart from the Achiga girls from Nara, they also have the Shindouji team (Kirame, Mairu, Himeko, Yoshiko, Hitom) from Fukuoka.

Anzio: Aichi Prefecture. The Bansei characters (everyone except Anchovy and Carpaccio) are from Nara.

Pravda: The island of Hokkaido. The characters from Himematsu (Hiroe, Kinue, Suzu, Yuuko, Kyouko), and Senriyama (Hiroko, Toki, Ryuuka, Sera, Izumi) are from South and North Osaka, respectively.

Black Forest: Kumamoto Prefecture, although according to supplementary materials, they don't dock in Kumamoto. Teru and the others from Shiraitodai (Sumire, Takami, Seiko, Awai) are from West Tokyo, as I mentioned before.

I haven't heard which prefectures BC Freedom, Joghurt, Koala Forest and the others represent.

Next up is the two-part battle with Rinkai.

Edited to fix a few typos and other mistakes.


	26. A Bigger Fish

**Chapter 19: A Bigger Fish**

The match between Oarai and Rinkai began, in the urban battlefield some distance outside the city.

A large crowd had turned out to watch the game from the stands, due in large part to the hype generated by a strong newcomer facing off against a champion. Others watched the match on TV in their homes inside Tokyo, and in various areas for watching the match throughout the city. Many more were watching the match in the stream from abroad, including many of the Rinkai tankers' families in their home countries. Two contenders with impressive records had come together, and whichever one prevailed, the battle would be quite a spectacle.

* * *

On the side of the arena, Kazue, Yukiko's crew, Touka's crew, and Ayumu and Miyuki, watched the match as they sat in folding chairs they had brought. The two groups had met by chance at the event, and so decided to watch the opponent that had defeated both of them.

"So you're also here to watch and cheer on Oarai, Ryuumonbuchi-san?" Kazue said, after the group's setup and introductions were finished.

"That is indubitably so," Touka said. "I will not have any opponent that can defeat me fall short of defeating all comers."

"Koromo does, too!" Koromo said excitedly. "It'll be fun to watch how Nonoka and Miho fare against this enemy."

Kazue solemnly nodded. She, too, was rooting for Oarai, but realized that even if she wanted their victory, it was less likely to happen than it was in most of Oarai's previous matches. Not only had the tank limit increased- a change that only benefited Oarai's opponents- but so had the skill level of the opponent Oarai was facing.

"Their fight will be significantly more difficult this time," Kazue said. "Saunders put up a good fight against Rinkai,but they were defeated. And, of course, they defeated us last year."

Touka softly scoffed, intriguing Kazue. Both of their schools had lost to Oarai, but Touka had not lost any of her boundless confidence. Was it because her school was somewhat more successful? Was it because she did not understand the odds she faced? Or was it because she was a great deal more onfident and resilient?

"Well, rising up to face new challengers is often a part of games," Tomoki said. "In single player games, you'll naturally face more difficult opponents as you go along. In multiplayer ones, you will likely, at some point, run into someone who is simply better than you are, just like your school and mine did. You can't avoid this, but you can better yourself and learn to enjoy the challenges you're faced with."

"That's true," Koromo said. "This match looks like it'll be fun."

* * *

As Oarai's tanks proceeded to their starting point, Mallard Team conversed amongst each other regarding their being chosen as the flag tank.

"So we got chosen as the flag tank this time," Saro said. "I do have to wonder why exactly we got tapped for a job like this."

"You could say that it's my fault to some degree, Saro," Gomoyo said. "About a year ago, I talked Sodoko into joining the tankery team. I believed that we should fight alongside the others, not merely police them. And since we're just another member of the team... we were chosen by chance."

Saro nodded.

"So it's random, then," Saro said. "We weren't chosen because our tank had the most powerful gun, the thickest armor, the greatest speed or the best crew."

"From what I heard from Nishizumi-san," Gomoyo said, "the rule is meant to force us to make sure that any of us is ready for the role."

Saro let off a soft sigh. Her mind went back to the statement she made at the commanders' meeting, in which she said that people should only volunteer for a task when they were certain that they could succeed at it. She stood by that statement, but now realized that it did not account for those situations in which responsibility was thrust upon individuals. Her team's performance was acceptable by Oarai's standards, but there were many crews better suited to the job, many of whom had taken it on before.

"I suppose it does save us the trouble of choosing a flag tank," Saro said. "And with that out of the way, its no longer a matter of whether you are worthy of the task or whether you can convince others that you are, but whether you succeed or fail."

* * *

In contrast to Mallard Team, Emi was well used to being in command of her team's flag tank, having done so several times in Germany, including during the semifinals in her and Satoha's successful bid at the championship. Her sister had taught her a great deal about managing this responsibility, including her belief that there were things that mattered more than victory. Asuka had no regrets about the international game against Japan, nor did she hold the misunderstanding against Maho, simply chalking it up to "the fog of war."

Emi understood and agreed with her sister, but was still determined to do everything in her power to win. She had high expectations for the various individuals who had been in command of the flag tank, and held herself to those standards as well. Her teammates had performed well in the past, and she had no intention of letting them down now that she held this responsibility.

_"I hope, for your sake, that the crew of your team's flag tank is one that you can trust, Miho," _Emi thought. _"Because if they're not up to the task, this will be a very short match."_

* * *

As the match began, Oarai's forces approached Rinkai's tanks from both sides of a wide street in the abandoned urban arena, striking as Rinkai went through an intersection on one of the streets that was parallel to what might be considered the battlefield's main street; a severely weather-beaten sign seemed to say "Main Street".

The StuG fired, taking out a Grizzly. The crew did not consist of exchange students, but of a group of first-years who had come to Rinkai after hearing of it establishing a tankery team.

Octopus Team also fired, taking out a Semovente. The crew had been some of the best in Italy's national tournament, but once their tank's white flag raised, they were out of the game, just like anyone else.

The Rinkai forces responded quickly, firing on Oarai's troops with surprisingly accurate shots. It was as though they worked as a unit, but Miho realized that each team knew very well what they were to do in this situation. It seemed like more of a case of individuals all reaching the same conclusion than a case of absolutely fluid teamwork.

With each salvo, the shots grew closer and closer, and Oarai's position grew less and less tenable.

Having inflicted as many losses as possible, and with the enemy counterattacking, Oarai decided to withdraw and attack again once they had a better opportunity to attack. In spite of knowing that it was not intended to defeat or even cripple the enemy, Miho could not help but feel disappointment, and wish that her attack had been more effective.

_"I'd hoped that we could have taken more of them out," _Miho thought. _"Emi-chan has gotten quite skilled."_

But as Oarai's troops were withdrawing into the streets, hoping to rendezvous and strike at Rinkai again, Satoha's Type 4 fired on the Type 89, disabling it.

_"Ok, I'll admit that you caught us with our pants down, Miho," _Emi thought. _"But did you really think that Satoha and I, Germany's national champions and people well acquainted with your fighting style, would let you get away with it unscathed?"_

Emi knew well from watching Oarai's matches that a retreating enemy should not be mistaken for one that had already surrendered. In the match with Black Forest, tactical retreats had kept Oarai in the game, and they had been able to stay in the game long enough and inflict enough losses on Black Forest so that in the end, the one tank Oarai needed to keep in the game had been able to survive, and its counterpart from Black Forest had been defeated.

"Rinkai's team has strong offensive power," Miho said. "Withdraw to the city square and attack Rinkai again there."

Perhaps the next attack would have limited success, but even so, Miho could only fight against Rinkai in the way Oarai was best suited to. Oarai's tactical options were limited, and their arsenal, to some extent, influenced the tactics that they could use.

* * *

In an abandoned city square, Miho's remaining tanks met up, preparing to spread out and strike at Rinkai again. Anglerfish, Anteater, Turtle and Octopus Team were on one side, while the others were on the other side.

But before they could do so, Rinkai's troops surged through the main street, bifurcating Oarai's forces with a moving steel wall.

Emi was not yet in a position to defeat Oarai's flag tank, but her allies could make significant losses on the enemy. Her Panzer IV fired, taking out the Hetzer before it could attack them. She was well aware of how the tank had made some effective shots at long-range, and detracked some of Oarai's enemies.

_"Not bad so far, but Miho's come back from worse," _Emi thought, before smirking. _"Of course, I'm just getting started."_

As Rinkai's tanks unleashed a barrage of gunfire, a shell from Nelly's SU-100 hit the Tas in the side, forcing it to a stop. As other Rinkai tanks aimed their guns at the Tas, the white flag raised, and they moved on to other targets.

Slowly, but surely, the two halves of Oarai's forces were being pushed backwards, away from each other. Oarai was now on the defensive, but more than that, they were playing Rinkai's game. All of them, especially Miho, knew that if this continued, with the difference in numbers, firepower and crew experience, the battle could only end in Oarai's defeat.

* * *

On the side of the field, Nodoka's friends from Saunders, as well as a few of Saunders' alumni- including Mairu, Kay, Alisa and Naomi- watched.

"Nodoka's out already?" Shizuno said, completely shocked.

"Well, it wouldn't be any fun if she, Miho and their teammates won effortlessly, would it?" Kay said. Nodoka's friends shook their heads. "After all, that is part of the reason you tried so hard, wasn't it?"

Nodoka's friends nodded. The revelation that their efforts had almost caused Oarai to be shut down was distressing, as was the related discovery that Nodoka's father would only allow her to stay at her school and do tankery if she won the tournament. In spite of that, Nodoka's friends had enjoyed the match, and hoped for another, which they would have gotten had Rinkai not defeated them.

"That's true," Kuro said. "Of course, even in a school like ours, we do feel a fair amount of pressure to succeed- self-imposed, I might add."

Harue nodded. Kuro's statement had reminded Harue of her own time in high school, when Saunders' team was humbler and less successful. Her coach had not been stricter than was necessary, but Harue still felt obligated to succeed, and a crushing sense of failure when she was unable to win against Black Forest. In the end, however, she had come back from it, and hoped Oarai could say the same when they had a similar experience.

"This may be somewhat unpleasant for you to hear, girls..." Harue said, "but I think that perhaps Nodoka and the rest of Oarai would be better off in the long run if they did end up losing at some point. They need to be able to deal with failure, come back stronger and learn lessons from their mistakes."

Ako paused to consider Harue's point. Perhaps winning all the time was not necessarily good, but it was also demoralizing to be in a second-rate school. Hatsuse had told her a little about BC Freedom seemingly being resigned to being mediocre at best until their match with Oarai had gotten them out of their rut- enough so that Ako was happy to have chosen Saunders. But upon thinking of Hatsuse and the victory over Oarai, Ako remembered that Oarai had failed before, and that experience was a wake-up call that enabled their futur success.

"But didn't they lose against BC Freedom last year?" Ako said. "And didn't that, in the long term, help them iron out some of their flaws?"

"They did," Harue said, "and they went on to defeat BC Freedom this year. They did improve, but at the same time, I hope they don't get complacent."

"You do seem quite interested in Haramura's success, Akado-sensei," Mairu said.

"Well, she is a former student of mine," Harue said, "just like you are, Mairu. But apart from that, I see a little of our school in Oarai, and hope that in years to come, it stays true to itself."

Arata nodded. Saunders' team was relatively young, but a long time had passed since Harue's bid at the championship. Harue was now coaching for her alma mater, while the young children she had taught tankery to in the past were now doing it in actual combat. Through it all, Saunders had remained much the same as it was in her time, simply becoming bigger and better, and Harue had the same hopes for Oarai.

* * *

Maho and Shiho watched as Oarai's plan had fallen through, leaving it vulnerable.

"So Rinkai is seeing through Oarai's tactics," Shiho said. Her tone did not betray any indication of how she felt about this.

"It seems so," Maho said. "Rinkai's vice-captain knew Miho from a long time ago, and has been following her in tankery ever since. It's the same as how Miho was able to use her knowledge of Black Forest and the Nishizumi style against us."

Shiho nodded.

"Most schools have tactics that they tend to rely on," Shiho said, "and they often do so even when they're not always practical or the enemy may predict them. Oarai is no different in some degree; while not bound by any specific doctrine, their options are limited because of the quantity and quality of their tanks, and some of their opponents are starting to realize this."

"That may be true, Mother," Maho said, "but what about Rinkai? Their commander and vice-captain may have led a team together in the past, but their subordinates are very different this time."

"Perhaps they will be forced to adjust to their new school," Shiho said. "But in the end, they will most likely do whatever comes naturally to them, as will Miho."

Maho nodded. She and Miho had long ago realized that the Nishizumi style was fundamentally incompatible with Miho's character. The style of tankery she had developed was largely influenced by her own team and the challenges she faced, so Maho believed Miho could find a way to win this match, just like all the others.

* * *

In the stands, two of the prospective Oarai tankers had come to watch the match, and others sat elsewhere, alone or with some of their friends outside of the team. The two of them had seen Oarai's tankery matches before, but this was the first time they had watched them with some idea of what the tankers had to do, as well as the gap between Oarai's regular team and the newer applicants.

"Wow, this is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be," Kagami Ritsuko, a first-year who had tried out along with Turtle and Hippo Teams, said. She was familiar with Oarai's battles, but it was an entirely different experience to see one first-hand, without foreknowledge of what the outcome would be. The dire straits Oarai found itself in were even more nerve-wracking to spectators who did not know they would prevail.

"What did you expect?" Sakaki Ibuki, a fellow first-year who had tried out with several of the teams, said. "They're in the semifinals, facing an opponent that has defeated three of its challengers so far."

"Well, now that Hippo Team has been taken out, I understand better what we're up against," Ritsuko said. "When I tried out with them, I knew that I wouldn't easily slot into their group. They dressed so strangely, and rattled off all those historical references. For example, the most you could expect out of me is to say that the Battle of the Bulge was in 1944."

"I know how you feel," Ibuki said. "I really don't play video games, so I couldn't get Anteater Team's various usage of gaming terminology. Perhaps they were trying to translate the unfamiliar ideas of tankery into terms more familiar to them, but it wasn't very understandable to me."

Ritsuko nodded; she'd recalled the history club members referencing various battles, and the volleyball team talking about spikes and serves, both of which were vaguely reminiscent of the in-jokes and slang that her group of friends from middle school used. It did make a certain amount of sense to keep things understandable for one's group, even if they were not understandable to many other people.

"But there was more to it than that," Ritsuko said. "As quirky as they were, Hippo Team knew what they were doing, worked well together, and had strong bonds of trust and friendship. Of course I'd feel like an outsider among those four who have lived together. Of course I wouldn't be able to keep up with them if they'd done tankery together this long. "

"They did get started in tankery last year," Ibuki said. "It's not practical to assume that you'll be at their level immediately. I think Anteater Team said as much to me at one point."

"They're probably right," Ritsuko said. "But it still feels discouraging to see them taken out so easily in a battle like this, as though all their effort and skill means little by comparison to their enemy."

Ibuki sighed. It was all the more depressing to consider that she was that much more insignificant in terms of the national tournament. But unpleasant or not, the realization that she would have to drastically improve to be of use to Oarai's team was a sobering but necessary wake-up call.

"Well, I can't argue that things don't look pretty bad now," Ibuki said. "But Oarai has won in spite of long odds in the past. They might just do so again this time."

Ritsuko nodded. She knew that she had a long way to go before she could be on the level of the regular Oarai team, but hoped to one day do tankery on their level, and face the same opponents they did.

* * *

As the StuG was occupied with some tanks to the front, Megan circled around with the Chaffee for a pincer attack. As the StuG fired at and defeated a Sentinel, it tried to turn around, but too late; as it was turning, Megan's tank fired a round into its backside, causing the white flag to go up.

Megan pondered her coach's advice. Alexandra was largely pragmatic, and she generally encouraged her students to use any tactics that were within the rules and bounds of fair play. Calling her a believer that "the ends justify the means" would be overly simplistic, but Alexandra believed in her team's mission, and that there was no place in her team for anything that undercut the team spirit. Emi largely respected and agreed with her coach, but wryly noted to Megan that "that focus on results, and her fondness for dark business attire are two things she has in common with Nishizumi Shiho."

Back then, Megan had chuckled at Emi's remark, adding that she only wore black to funerals. But while she knew that the desperation to win could lead to all sorts of bad decisions, there was nothing wrong with trying one's best against one's opponents. Oarai had performed enough to earn this degree of respect, and strong enough that Rinkai would have to try this hard to prevail.

Hao, in her T-34, looked over Oarai's troops as she tried to take down the Porsche Tiger. She had heard about the German tank's offensive power and defensive strength, which were desirable for any tankery team, but also about its tendency to break down, which made it impractical for combat. In China, where the playing field was more level, she had not seen any tanks with either, so it naturally surprised her that Oarai would be forced to put a tank like that into play.

The tanks Rinkai had received were given as a starting set. They were a far cry from the ten tanks Oarai was unable to sell, but the ten The team hoped that their success in the tournament, would, among other things, convince their team's sponsors to upgrade their arsenal, enabling them to add more tanks and get even stronger ones from various nations.

But for now, they wanted to show that they could succeed with what they had. Hao's Russian tank, the closest she could get to a Chinese tank, was a strong WWII-era tank, so she felt confident that she would be able to defeat her school's enemies with it no matter what thy brought to bear against her.

Hao then ordered her tank to fire on the Porsche Tiger, but while the shot struck the side armor, it did not succeed in disabling Oarai's tank.

Leopon Team circled around as the crew of the T-34/76 was reloading. As the Russian tank's gun was trained on them, the Auto Club fired, taking out Hao's team with a blast to the side.

_"So that tank does have quite a few upsides after all," _Hao thought, knowing from the force of the blast alone that she was out of the game before she heard the soft whoosh of the white flag raising.

* * *

Rabbit Team was forced to evade some shells, and weaved through the streets of the city, avoiding Satoha's Type 4 Medium.

"The girl in command of this tank and the opposing team won the championship in Germany last year, didn't she?" Yuuki said. "I can only imagine how much trouble we'd have if we faced her in last year's tournament."

"Rinkai didn't have a tankery team back then," Ayumi said.

"Well, we're part of Japan's winning team!" Karina said. "So let's show her what we can do!

Azusa smiled, before continuing to give orders, as the M3 Lee dodged a shell from the Type 4 Medium by going around a corner, and quickly doing a U-turn as the Type 4 rounded the corner. Rabbit Team fired on Satoha's tank before circling around it.

Rabbit Team, barely avoiding a few shells, saw an opportunity before them as the enemy commander's tank came into view. With seconds to react, they took aim as the Japanese tank tried to circle around them for a shot.

The M3 Lee fired, striking the Type 4 Medium in the side with two well-placed shots. The Japanese tank shook from the blasts, then went completely still.

The white flag then raised on Satoha's tank.

"This is Command Team," Satoha said to the others. "I've been taken out, so Emi is in charge now."

Emi was unsure of how to take the news. Having Satoha taken off the field was a significant setback, one that she had not experienced since leaving Germany, but she had expected that things would not go easily against Miho. Rinkai's match against Saunders had been challenging until the final opportunity had presented itself, and Miho had won against them under less favorable circumstances.

But at the same time, leadership of the team had always been essentially as much Emi's as it had been Satoha's. Emi had disagreed with the requirement for a Japanese commander, but knew that when it came down to it, it did not change how things worked between them. The two of them formulated their strategies and led together. Satoha was the primary commander, and when she was taken out, the responsibility of leading fell to Emi.

So now it was time for Emi to do what she did best- assisting Satoha, filling in for her and winning for their school.

_"Now that Satoha and Haramura-san are out of play, it's just you, me, and our remaining forces, Miho," _Emi thought._ "Whose style of tankery will prove superior- yours or mine?"_

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I'd like to thank KMT4ever and Stalker117 for beta reading this.

This battle is one of Oarai's more desperate ones, and will be continued in the next part. It was split in two here to show Emi taking over in the second half, which works better as two separate halves.

In some ways, it's one outside of Oarai and Rinkai's comfort zones. Oarai is unused to facing a team that's somewhat like theirs (relatively new, with a group of people who have experience, but may not have worked together much before), albeit with many of the same advantages their previous rivals have had. At the same time, Rinkai is also facing a relative newcomer, so match records and participation history are less useful as sources of reference.

Next up is the latter half of the battle, with the two old friends facing each other in the field of tankery battle.

Edited to make a few changes, and add on an incomplete sentence about Harue's thoughts.

**Character Analysis: Oarai's Newcomers**

They come from a variety of different backgrounds, none of which are related to tankery. Their skillsets are equally diverse, and equally unrelated to tankery. Ibuki, Ritsuko, Shiki, Ichiko, Maki, Ayame and others have become interested in Oarai's tankery team, just like many other newcomers before them.

Unfortunately, unlike the others before them, particularly, Mallard, Anteater and Leopon Teams, as well as those who came this year, there are not slots open for them, and they will not face opponents suited to their level of skill. At the moment, the most they can do for their team is to practice and improve their skills, but for now, that is enough for them.

The new recruits are long-term challenges to the team, one that will require effort from all concerned for the team as a whole to succeed. The newcomers will have to get up to speed with the senior members, and the more experienced people will have to help them out. The newcomers will have to learn how to fight alongside their seniors, while their seniors, some of whom may have lost members of their crews, will have to accommodate new members into their crews, and new crews into the team as a whole. The process will be a long and difficult one, but the time will come when these newcomers become the backbone of the tankery team, just as the ten teams who won the tournament were, so it's up to them to become worthy of that trust, and those who will pass the torch to them must help them however they can, while they can.


	27. With Victory as the Foundation

**Chapter 20: With Victory as the Foundation  
**

On the side of the arena, Satoha stood in a crowd of Rinkai tankers, which was far larger in comparison to the crowd of Oarai tankers than she had expected going into the match; roughly a third of Rinkai's team was out of the game. As she stood among her defeated comrades, Satoha watched the match, intent on seeing the outcome even if she could no longer affect it.

She realized that regardless of how this match ended, the future would hold a great deal of uncertainty for people like herself, Emi and Megan, whose first year on the team would also be their last. They would likely go on to separate countries and career paths, and those who remained in tankery would quite possibly end up fighting against each other in international competitions.

But while Satoha and the other third years' time with the team would end at the end of the year, the team itself would not. Satoha and her cohort were laying the foundations for the future, and they hoped that an outstanding triumph in the first year would inspire future generations of students to succeed. The team's future success would be built with victory as the foundation, so Satoha hoped the first tournament would be as successful as possible, and she could succeed together with Emi, and the friends they made in their year at the school.

When Satoha thought of things this way, she understood what fueled Oarai's drive to win now that its school was no longer on the line. Its tankery team had become more than just a means to keep the school afloat, but their school's pride and joy, as well as a pillar of the school that they hoped to strengthen in years to come. At the same time, though, she was no less hopeful that the remaining Rinkai tankers, who possessed the same resolve, would put up a good fight against Oarai.

* * *

Rinkai's attack pressed on, and a column of tanks surged forward, with Rinkai attacking in force, cutting through Oarai's tanks. Like the Red Sea had parted for Moses, Oarai's tanks were forced to split in two by the advancing enemy tanks.

Once again, Oarai's forces had been split in two by the attack, with the Char B1 Bis forced off to the side, while Miho's tank and a few others were cut off by a large column of Rinkai tanks... but on the same side of the divide as Rinkai's flag tank.

"It seems not everything's going as Rinkai planned," Miho said. "Our flag tank is vulnerable, but so is theirs. Mallard team, can you stay in the game long enough for us to defeat them?"

"We can, Commander," Saro said, as confidently as she could.

Miho nodded approvingly. She realized that in each match, she often asked a great deal of her teams, but this was largely because the circumstances asked a great deal of Oarai.

Miho's counterattack began, in hopes of thinning the Rinkai forces, rescuing the Char B1 Bis and taking Emi out of the game. Each of these tasks were tall orders for Oarai in its present condition, but all of them were absolutely necessary to win against an opponent as strong as Rinkai.

* * *

Of course, Miho knew that while the battle would end once Emi's tank or Mallard Team was taken out of the game, neither of them would be the next tank to be taken out, as brutal fighting raged in the streets. Both sides were firing at will, resulting in a cacophony of explosions, many of which fell closer to the tanks than those inside them would like.

The Porsche Tiger fired, taking out a Grizzly with a powerful blow to the front of its turret.

Seconds later, an enemy Cromwell fired on the Porsche Tiger. A few other tanks hit it with their shells, but as the Porsche Tiger finished reloading, the damage proved too great, and it was overwhelmed.

But the crew of Rinkai's Cromwell had no time to celebrate. Oarai's own Cromwell quickly pulled up alongside them and fired on them at close range, disabling them.

_"Sorry I'm late, Tsuchiya-san," _Mutsuki thought. _"You held the enemy's attention quite nicely, though, and took one of them down, so you can leave the rest to us."_

As Miho's tank set out in pursuit of Emi's tank, the remaining tanks rallied around the flag tank on Miho's command.

As they did, however, Rinkai's forces regained their composure and began to return fire, firing a barrage of surprisingly well-aimed shots. Nelly's SU-100 shot the M3 Lee at close range, causing the white flag to raise.

Sparrow Team fired back, striking a glancing blow on the SU-100, and aiming to fire at it again.

But before Momo could pull the trigger, her tank shook as the Chaffee scored a direct hit on it, and she heard the sound of an explosion, rather than the blast of her gun. The controls locked up and the white flag rose.

Megan took a moment to notice the kind of tank she had struck, and let off a soft chuckle.

_"Is this because of fate, coincidence, or how popular British tanks like this one are in tankery?" _Megan thought, but then shook her head. _"It doesn't really matter. I came through this time, and hope that the next tank I down will be the flag tank."_

Nelly let off a sigh of relief. As much as she hoped to be the most valuable player this battle, she had to admit that she owed Megan one.

"That was close!" Nelly said. "Thanks, Meg."

Megan simply smiled, before ordering her crew to move on to other targets.

* * *

On the side of the arena, Leopon Team got a glimpse of what happened as they stepped off the Dragon Wagon. They had just gotten taken off the field, and it seemed as though Rabbit Team would soon be joining them.

"Rabbit Team got taken down..." Tsuchiya said.

"Yeah," Nanami said. "Apparently, their attacker's leader is our age, and she's one of the best performers at their school."

"Is that really surprising, Nanami?" Gotou said. "People have been doing tankery since middle school, and I heard that this is especially true for some of Rinkai's recruits."

Nanami nodded. Since middle school, she had read many auto magazines and technical manuals, hoping to prepare herself to work on a car even though her school considered such a club off limits to students her age. She realized that those who had prepared were at a leg up over their competition and so hoped to catch up to them so that she could be of use to whatever club she joined. In spite of he initial reluctance, she and the rest of the newcomers applied that same sort of determination to tankery.

"True," Nanami said. "You could say that they put the same amount of time into tankery that we put into auto maintenance."

"Well, we aren't slouches in tankery, either," Rokubungi said. "There's nothing I wouldn't give for the chance to get back in there and show that girl what we can do."

Tsuchiya smiled approvingly. Oarai was fighting against a fellow champion, but its members had not lost their spirits. Perhaps the auto club could no longer contribute, but the others were of the same mind. The time had come to show those who had won the tournaments in their home countries how Oarai had succeeded in Japan.

* * *

As they pursued the Rinkai flag tank through the streets, Anglerfish Team, accompanied by Anteater Team, fired and took out a Turan III, disabling one of the flag tank's escorts. Anteater Team was able to fire on and take out Myeonghwa's Char B1 Bis before Emi's tank returned fire and eliminated them.

"I'm sorry, Emi," Myeonghwa said. "I couldn't keep them off of you."

"Nah, that's ok," Emi said. "You bought me some time, and I can deal with Miho myself."

Miho was hardly surprised by Emi continuing to fight even when it seemed as though her back was to the wall. Emi had once admonished Miho for seemingly giving up in the face of her sister's apparent skill when Miho's crew of amateurs faced Maho and her crew of Nishizumi school students years ago, saying that she fought to win. Speaking with Emi recently, Miho realized that Emi's competitive spirit had not diminished, even if she had no desire to emulate the Nishizumi style, at least not consciously.

Miho knew that Emi often preferred to lead from where the action was thickest, as part of the way she generally worked with Satoha. Miho, from her tankery battles, realized that it was often advantageous for commanders to see the action themselves, rather than hear about it second-hand through their subordinates. At the same time, however, since Emi was in the flag tank, she had made herself vulnerable, and Miho, by putting on a pursuit, had forced her away from her troops.

Emi had her reasons for doing what she did. Losing oversight of her forces and leading outside of her comfort zone would have put her at a disadvantage. But because she did what she did, Miho had an opportunity to force her out of her defensive position, giving her a chance to take her out and win.

_"Emi-chan hasn't given up yet," _Miho thought. _"I'll show her that I'm not the person I used to be."_

Emi was fully aware of the developments, and realized Miho had come a long way from the tanker and person she had used to be, as had Emi herself.

_"You've really improved in more ways than one, Miho," _Emi thought. _"Unfortunately, now that I've got a satisfactory look at what your style of tankery is, I won't have any regrets once Meg and Nelly blow away your flag tank."_

* * *

Shiho and Maho continued to watch the match. From time to time, Shiho's mind wandered away from the implications the outcome might have for the Nishizumi school, and focused on the match. There was little point in thinking about how Black Forest would fare against Rinkai when neither school had yet won the semifinals.

"I would say that Rinkai should not be having this much trouble with a school that has Oarai's numbers and tank strengths," Shiho said, "but after what happened last year, I'm hardly in a position to judge."

Maho nodded. One reason why she drove herself to succeed was to prove that she was strong, and that Miho's victory against her was proof of her and Oarai's strength, rather than Maho and Black Forest's weakness.

"To be honest, Mother, I do have to wonder how strength can be measured," Maho said. "Is it how effective one's tanks are? Relatively weak tanks can be used to great effect. Is it crew experience? Novices can perform surprisingly well compared to veterans, and can potentially improve enough to nullify the veterans' advantage."

"Yes, one does have to wonder," Shiho said. "Whatever our advantages may be, our school has not been one for relying purely on strength, but in prevailing no matter what our circumstances. If Erika and the others were to defeat Rinkai despite some of their members' success abroad, this would be a good show of their strength."

"Miho has been forced to overcome the odds many times in the past, Mother," Maho said. "In spite of the disadvantages she has against Rinkai, the possibility remains that she will do so again today."

Shiho nodded. Perhaps her younger daughter's methods were not characteristic of her school, but she had succeeded by the Nishizumi school's standards. That thought had gradually dawned on her as Miho continued to win difficult match after difficult match, to the point at which it no longer surprised her. Perhaps Miho was still short of the Nishizumi ideal in some ways, but Miho was quite strong in her own way.

"I can't deny that," Shiho said. "Miho has, in her own way, had to try hard, endure a great deal and overcome difficulties of her own. Perhaps through these continuing trials and long, desperate matches, she will continue to show her determination."

* * *

Meanwhile, Hitomi and Chihiro watched their two old friends facing each other in tankery combat, together with what remained of their respective schools' forces.

"So, Hii-chan," Chihiro said. "Having not just watched, but taken part in many tankery matches over the years, whose team do you think will prevail? Miho-chan's or Emi-chan's?

Hitomi beamed a smile for a moment, glad to be considered a tankery expert, albeit as the only one within reach.

"It's hard to say, Chii-chan," Hitomi said. "Both teams are trying so hard, but I've learned long ago that determination alone isn't enough to win."

Chihiro nodded. When Hitomi was willing to put in sustained effort over a long period of time, she was one of the most determined individuals Chihiro knew, even compared to Chihiro's fellow athletes. In spite of that, Hitomi was in a school with a largely second-rate tankery team, and no matter how hard she tried or how much she improved, she alone could not make the school into a strong contender.

"I suppose so, too," Chihiro said. "And looking at this, I'd say that Miho-chan isn't the only reason, either. Everyone else had to rise to the occasion, just like you and I had to learn tankery so we could keep pace with Miho-chan and Emi-chan."

"That's true," Hitomi said. "Reizei-san's probably the only one who gained the experience needed to perform on par with the others right off the bat. For everyone else, it's been a long, hard process of improvement."

"I imagine," Chihiro said. "And when Miho told us about the newcomers, while I understood why she couldn't necessarily include them, I also realized that there was a time when we were like them."

"Yeah," Hitomi said. She clearly remembered her humbler beginnings, especially considering that, in many of her short-lived pursuits, she never progressed past being a beginner. It was impossible for her to judge the shortcomings of one of Chihiro's teammates when Hitomi herself never learned how to kick a ball, or for her to be too harsh on a lackluster tank driver without acknowledging her initial difficulties driving.

"That said, we couldn't stay that way," Chihiro said. "The original group of tankers at Oarai had to improve their skills to be able to stand against the veterans. Now, this group- both those who have been in the team since its inception and the newcomers- will have to step up their game even further to deal with their rivals this time."

* * *

As Emi's tank fled through the streets, Anglerfish Team sped after it, trying to land a shot. The tank hastily rounded a corner, just barely avoiding one of Anglerfish Team's shells.

"It seems Nakasuga-dono is playing defensively," Yukari said. "Could it be that they know this place well?"

Miho shrugged. While the battlefield was close to Rinkai's home port, most tankery teams practiced on their ships. Rinkai had a few exhibition matches, but they were primarily as the visiting team. That had not stopped them from triumphing against their opponents each time, but at the same time, it was proof that they had as little experience on this battlefield as Oarai did.

"As far as I know the Rinkai team doesn't have the advantage of knowing this terrain especially well," Miho said, "but at the same time, the longer they stay away from us, the more likely the others are to be defeated."

Hana fired again, getting a glancing blow on Emi's tank. Her shots were getting closer, but that was not enough to inflict any significant damage, much less disable the tank.

"I am trying to get a good shot, Miho-san," Hana said. "I apologize for my failure, but the tank is quite evasive, so I will have to be trying."

"I'll stay on it," Mako said. "It won't be long before you get a good shot, Hana."

Miho smiled and nodded

"Please do, Mako-san," Miho said. "And please do what you can, Hana-san."

Anglerfish Team turned a tight corner, narrowly dodging an enemy shell as they rounded it, and entered a tunnel. In the end, the skills of both crews would determine this clash between the two tanks, and in all likelihood, the outcome of the match.

* * *

Megan's Chaffee and Nelly's SU-100 advanced on the Char B1 Bis as it fled through the campus of what looked like an abandoned elementary school. Each of the Rinkai tanks' commanders had a great deal personally invested in their team's success, and did not wish to fail at this juncture. But both were part of the team, and willing to put aside any of their personal desires for the sake of the group's success.

"The flag tank's almost in range, Nelly," Megan said. "I hope you don't mind if I take a shot at it."

"Not at all, Meg," Nelly said. "Just don't be too hasty about it, and be sure you hit it."

"All right," Megan said. "But since this and the Panzer IV are the only tanks left, it's not like they're launching any kind of rescue operation. It's only a matter of time now."

Nelly nodded. Rinkai had lost most of its tanks, but even apart from Emi and Megan's tanks, there were still two others hunting down Mallard Team, cutting off its routes of escape in hopes of cornering it and gunning it down. All of them were doing their best for the sake of the team, and Nelly believed that it would not be long before one of them succeeded.

Megan calmly aimed at the fleeing tank, hoping to make her shot count. This was no longer about making up for last year, as while she would never forget what had happened, she had forgiven herself for what she had done. Rather than be weighed down or obsess over making up for past mistakes, she sought to do her best and win the match for the sake of Rinkai's future success.

* * *

Saro and the rest of Mallard Team continued to evade Nelly and Megan's fire as they rounded the main school building, as shells fell where the tank had been moments before, when the Rinkai gunners had pulled their triggers.

Saro wanted to believe that Miho, knowing better than most what it meant to have the responsibility of commanding the flag tank thrust on her, had chosen Mallard Team to be the flag tank, but she knew better for two reasons. The first was that it was not Miho's choice to make. The second was that Mallard Team's performance was mediocre at best. The crew had a pedestrian command of using its tank, but had rarely played a significant role in winning matches for the school.

It was obvious to Saro that Miho was aware of the first fact, and Saro believed that, while Miho believed in her teammates, she was also aware of the second fact. Saro was somewhat surprised that Miho was able to believe in her teammates, even if they did not seem to justify that faith. Saro had seen many people come and go from the disciplinary committee; apart from those who graduated or transferred out, several had resigned, and a few were dismissed because of infractions or poor performance. Saro was by no means an elitist, but believed that not everyone could be assets to their respective organizations, herself included. Why, then, did she have to have such a crucial role in a high-profile match?

As she struggled desperately to think of a way to remain in the match, Saro's mind went back to one of the few pieces of tankery-related advice Sodoko gave her.

"I don't necessarily believe that you can accomplish anything if you try," Sodoko had told Saro, "but I do know that people like us will never be able to make anything of ourselves without a lot of hard work."

Saro agreed with the sentiment. Perhaps she would never be much of a tanker, but she was determined that Oarai's run in the tournament would not end here, now or because of her inadequacy.

Her tank barely avoided Megan's shot, but the track was blown off in the process. As Nelly's crew finished loading, Saro began one last desperate attempt to avoid the final shell.

_"Sodoko, you once said that trying hard was all you were good at," _Saro thought. _"Here, this last desperate effort may ultimately be pointless, but it's all I can do for the team, and our one hope at surviving long enough to win."_

* * *

As Emi's Panzer IV sped ahead through the streets and toward a tunnel, Miho's tank followed in hot pursuit. They were almost out of shells, so they were aiming carefully, hoping to make their most of the remaining chances to disable Emi's tank and defeat Rinkai.

"Can you keep up with her, Mako-san?" Miho said.

"I can," Miho said. "I'm going to give my grandma a good show this time, even if she has to watch a recording later."

The two tanks entered the tunnel, and sped through, on opposite sides of the road and with pillars in the middle. There were many obstructions to firing a shot, but not enough to present an obstacle to the teams' respective gunners. The one that hit first would win, but if that one missed, she would most likely not get a second shot.

As Emi's Panzer IV fired on Anglerfish Team's tank, Mako stopped just short, causing one shot aimed at her to strike the median. Then, quickly yet decisively, she backed up, enabling Hana to fire a shot into the enemy Panzer IV's side. The shot caused a large explosion, and it was clear that it had made its mark, but even so, Anglerfish Team stayed vigilant, preparing themselves for the enemy's counterattack.

As the smoke cleared, the enemy turret stood still, pointed off slightly to the side. There was no need to correct its aim in order to hit Oarai's Panzer IV, because it would not be firing another shot in this round.

Moments later, the white flag raised on Rinkai's flag tank.

"Oarai wins the match!' the announcer said.

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

I'd like to thank Stalker117 and KMT4ever for beta reading this.

The bit about international tournaments is vaguely alluded to in the Saki manga, as the Megan's coach and four teammates are discussing the lieutenant match. Unfortunately, since the series will end once Miho leaves Oarai (and Saki will probably end once the individuals do- which will probably take at least three to five years in real time), we won't get to see this in play. Still, it perhaps does give some indication of how people's mahjong and tankery careers may continue in the future, and that there are many areas of competition out there besides the Japanese tournament.

This match was also intended to give Mallard Team a chance to shine, as it's fairly short on impressive moments in canon; only Anteater Team; (a.k.a. the team that can't drive in a firefight and gets taken out in their first contact with the enemy in their first and only battle) does worse than they do.

The fic's just passed the 200,000 word mark, but it's getting near the end of the story, as the tournament is winding down. There's two matches left- the other side of the semifinals and then the final match.


	28. Questions of Purpose

**Chapter 21: Questions of Purpose**

As Emi saw the enemy Panzer IV unharmed as the game ended in Rinkai's defeat, her gunner turned to her, her expression displaying remorse, shame and a hint of fear.

"I'm sorry, Emi," the gunner said, as she saw where her shot had landed.

Emi shook her head, remembering how the practice match she had with Maho's team had ended. Back then, she'd been determined to win, a sentiment that she believed Miho had not shared, but was ultimately able to accept her loss against the more experienced crew.

"Nah, it's ok," Emi said. "This isn't the first time a friend of mine has missed a difficult shot against a Nishizumi. I can't speak for the others, but I don't see any reason to complain about losing fair and square."

The gunner sighed in relief. As a first-year, she would have more chances to perform for the team in the future. She hoped that someday, she would have another chance to make a shot to save the team, and she would succeed when that time came, making up for this failure.

Emi, despite having come to the end of the final tournament she would participate in during her high school career, was satisfied with the outcome. She had gotten what she came for; a first-hand look at the skills Miho had developed over her years apart from Emi, and the unique tankery style that she had made for herself in the last two years. While a part of her felt disappointment in her inability to win with her friends, she took solace in the fact that Miho had won with hers.

_"Well, Satoha, you did say that you anticipated the possibility of this happening," _Emi thought. _"I can't speak for the others, but I don't think it's such a bad thing in the grand scheme of things."_

* * *

Some distance away, Nelly sat, with the SU-100's barrel trained on the Char B1 Bis, but unable to fire. The flag tank rule was new to her, as she had been exclusively participating in annihilation matches in Georgia, but she was familiar enough with it to know what the loss of Emi's tank meant for her team.

Nelly couldn't help but feel frustrated on some level. She took her tankery matches seriously, especially when she had reasons worth fighting for. She supported her school's mission and felt as though she had let them down on some level.

Still, in spite of her need to succeed, it had been fun getting this far. Back home in Georgia, she had done well in the tournament, but had always wondered if she was a large fish in a small pond. Coming to Japan meant that she had to face enemies that were more put-together than those back home, but also had more of a challenge.

Oarai had grown a great deal since their return to tankery. Perhaps the same could happen to Rinkai. Perhaps the same could happen to Nelly herself. Her high school tankery career had just begun,

* * *

On the side of the field, Satoha watched with Myeonghwa and the other defeated Rinkai commanders.

"That was some impressive effort at the end," Myeonghwa said. "Reizei-san is quite a good driver."

Satoha nodded.

"Emi also started out as a driver in a Panzer IV," Satoha said, "and even she was impressed with Reizei-san. She hates false praise more than anything, so when she gives a compliment to someone else, she means it."

"I know," Myeonghwa said. "Emi did her best, too, although I'm not sure how to say that without her believing that I am pitying her."

"Maybe you don't need to say anything in particular, Myeonghwa," Satoha said. "Just welcome her back and be there for her, as you would anyone else on this team."

As the Dragon Wagon hauled Emi's disabled tank back, and she disembarked to rejoin Satoha and the others, Myeonghwa greeted Emi with a smile and a "Welcome back."

Emi responded in kind with a smile, and Myeonghwa nodded, pleased. Perhaps there were some simple ways of communications that went beyond the language barrier and the differing cultures of various cultures. Perhaps people could, on some level, come to an inherent understanding of one another.

* * *

After the match ended, both sides came together and exchanged bows.

"Congratulations, Miho," Emi said. "There was a time when I looked down on Japanese tankers as inferior to German ones, but you've managed to show me your and your country's strength, as well as how far you've come since we parted ways."

"Thank you, Emi-chan," Miho said. "But how do you and Tsujigaito-san feel about this match?"

"I really can't complain about the outcome," Satoha said. "Emi and I did win last year, after all, and many of us won in our home countries, as well. We want to do well for our school, but don't want to set the bar too high."

"I understand your perspective, but what about us?" Miho said. "We had to win the first championship, or otherwise our first effort in two decades would have been our last. Does this make it necessary for us to keep winning in the future?"

"Not necessarily," Satoha said. "Teams have good years and bad years, and next year, it's possible that neither of us will do as well as we did this time. It may take more than what we've accomplished so far for either of our teams to become well-established, but we shouldn't see an off year as a failure any more than St. Gloriana should this year."

Miho remembered that St. Gloriana's defeat in the first round had been quite a shock to them- the school was not on Black Forst's level, but generally did not lose immediately unless they had a strong opponent. St. Gloriana was in the process of redoubling their efforts for next year, and Miho realized that perhaps, some time in the future, Oarai would one day suffer a humiliating loss and be forced to improve itself.

"In any case, your performance was one befitting the defending champions, and I hope we presented a worthy challenge to you," Satoha said, extending her hand for a handshake.

Miho smiled as she shook Satoha's hand.

"You did," Miho said with a smile. "We've always been used to being outnumbered and outgunned, but this was especially difficult even for that. We might have lost if it had been the finals, and you had an additional five tanks to bring to bear against us."

"I'm glad to hear that," Satoha said. "But be warned- your next opponent will be a school that has _also_ won the championship before, and will likely be significantly more difficult for you to defeat. Your success against Black Forest was impressive, but you may not be able to repeat it this time if they are your opponents once again."

"I agree with Satoha," Emi said, "but while I think the odds are steep, they're not insurmountable. You might be meek, Miho, but you've always stuck to your guns even when things are difficult, and you're skilled enough that you can overcome them. So I won't stand for you getting nervous or giving up now that you've come this far."

"I'll do what I can, Emi-chan," Miho said. "I learned a great deal about determination and finding my own way from you, after all."

With a smile and a wave, the two old friends went back to their respective teams as they prepared to head back to school. They would be apart for some time, but they were in contact once again, so they would hear from each other soon.

* * *

In the stands, Chihiro and Hitomi watched the closing ceremonies.

"Miho-chan and Emi-chan have really come a long way since the summer we spent together," Hitomi said.

"All of us have, Hii-chan," Chihiro said. "It's because we stuck with our passions, and gave our all toward improving ourselves."

Hitomi nodded. Despite knowing little about soccer apart from the basic rules, she noticed that Chihiro had greatly improved, becoming faster, better coordinated and more able to work together with her teammates. Perhaps Hitomi could have played alongside Chihiro if she had stuck with it, but while she was glad she was able to commit herself to her pursuits, she was also satisfied with tankery.

"Yeah, I think that's true," Hitomi said. "I might not have gotten as far as they did, but the process was worthwhile. I'm glad I stuck with tankery as long as I did, and I'll stay with it as long as I can. Maybe I'll catch up with them, or at least get good enough for them to acknowledge me."

Chihiro nodded. A part of her wished that the four of them could do tankery together, just like old times. Another part, however, realized that just as she had made friends on her soccer team, Miho, Hitomi and Emi made friends at their respective schools' tankery teams.

"Let's start heading back," Chihiro said. "We'll send our congratulations to Miho and let Emi know we enjoyed watching her match."

* * *

Maho and Shiho finished watching the match, with subdued satisfaction at the outcome.

"So Oarai managed to pull through in the end," Maho said. "In spite of Rinkai's advantages, I always believed that Miho could prevail."

Shiho nodded. Her faith in Miho's style was not absolute, and she had hoped that Black Forest would defeat Rinkai, but she realized that Miho could overcome the odds.

"That seems reasonable," Shiho said. "What would you suppose the difference between Oarai and Rinkai is, Maho?"

"I believe there are a few, Mother," Maho said. "For one, Oarai seems more used to working together. The Rinkai tankers are skilled, experienced and disciplined, but they also haven't worked with each other as long."

"A fair point," Shiho said. "The Nishizumi school's training may be above all others, but there's no substitute for experience."

Maho nodded in agreement. Her mother's training had been harsh, but it had prepared Maho to meet Shiho's expectations, and had given Miho a certain amount of background in tankery, which she then built off of while finding her own style.

"Another reason is that I don't think any of them have faced an opponent quite like Miho before," Maho said. "Their schools are often the top of the line, but none of them have quite the same advantage over others that Oarai's competitors did. They had faced opponents on even ground before, so they weren't prepared to face an opponent that was used to dealing with being outnumbered."

"But Black Forest has faced Oarai before," Shiho said. "Let's hope Erika and the others have learned something from last year when they face Oarai."

"_If_ they face Oarai, Mother," Maho said. "They still must defeat Pravda first."

"True, but winning against Pravda, while not necessarily guaranteed, is well within Black Forest's ability," Shiho said. "The students at our alma mater realize what defeat means to us, and are striving to win to avoid having to face this humiliation again."

"Perhaps," Maho said. "At the same time, Pravda had a taste of victory, before they learned of the circumstances under which they won. There are still those who remember that feeling from two years ago, and are willing to make the most of their last chance to win for their school."

Shiho, who had won the tournament all three years in high school, was tempted to dismiss that perspective as one of a loser. But over the course of the past two years, she had come to realize that times were changing, and she could no longer be so certain of her alma mater, even as it went up against an enemy that it had defeated many times before, and an opponent that it outgunned.

_"Given the circumstances under which you've fought, Miho, I suppose you've never been very certain of your chances," _Shiho thought. _"I had once thought that to be unsuitable for the daughter of the nation's foremost tankery family, but it may well be befitting the leader of a group of underdogs."_

* * *

After the closing ceremonies ended, the two teams met to say their goodbyes and exchange contact information, hoping that this would not be the last time they met or spoke.

"So I suppose this is goodbye for now," Mako said to Myeonghwa, as members of both teams mingled together.

"Indeed," Myeonghwa said. "But I'll be looking forward to seeing your school in the finals. Mom might not be able to see my school compete, but I'm sure the school that defeated us will do well in the finals, giving her a good match that we can watch together."

Myeongwha paused slightly, wondering if now was the time to become more familiar with Mako. It seemed slightly awkward to be addressing her so formally when they were about to enter into regular contact. Of course, Myeonghwa conceded that she had different standards of formality than Mako did; back in France, she called one of her friends' older brother by his first name, despite only meeting the older boy on a handful of occasions.

But then, almost on cue, Myeongwha imagined Emi talking to her inside her mind, saying, _"What's the harm in just asking Reizei-san? The worst she could do is say no."_ Emi was always of the "better to beg forgiveness than ask permission" mindset, and while she did warn Myeonghwa that she often got in trouble as a result of it, Myeonghwa always admired that bit of confidence that fueled it.

"Ah, and... do you mind if I call you Mako?" Myeongwha said.

"Sure thing," Mako said. "I'm not the biggest stickler for manners, so you needn't worry about being judged too stringently for how well you adhere to Japanese culture or standards of etiquette, _Myeongwha_."

"I'm glad you understand, Mako," Myeonghwa said. "Let's exchange contact information."

Mako gave Myeonghwa her cell phone number, and Myeonghwa entered it into her phone's list of contacts as she opened her phone, with the entry added to the "Friends" folder below several of Myeonghwa's teammates. As Mako turned her own phone on, she saw a missed call from an unknown number. She ignored it for the moment, before Myeonghwa's contact information.

Seconds later, Mako's phone rang. Mako, upon hearing the sound, chuckled slightly, as Myeonghwa looked around to see whose phone it was.

"Looks like it's my turn to be the one whose phone interrupted the conversation," Mako said.

"Please feel free to take it," Myeonghwa said. "It might be your grandmother, calling to congratulate you."

Myeonghwa's mother tended to call her after each of her victories to congratulate her. If she was defeated, her mother would wait a little while to give her some space, but would eventually call her to console her. While Mako's grandmother was more hesitant to openly praise her, Mako believed Myeonghwa's guess was good, until she saw the caller ID.

_"The thing is, I don't know who it is this time"_ Mako thought as she pressed the button to take the call and lifted the phone to her ear. "Hello?" Mako said.

"Hello, Reizei Mako-san?" the caller, a middle-aged man whose voice Mako did not recognize, said.

"It's me," Mako said. "May I ask who's calling?"

"My name is Dr. Takeba Yusuke,"the doctor said, "I hope I'm not getting you at a bad time."

A chill went through Mako, and she wanted to say "There's never a good time for news like this," but she realized that blaming the doctor would accomplish nothing.

"No," Mako said. "My school just won the semifinals of the tankery tournament. We're getting our tanks loaded up onto the ship, but I can spare a few minutes."

"I see," Yusuke said. "I'd like to congratulate you, but the reason for my call is less than celebratory. It's about your grandmother."

Mako barely heard the rest of what the doctor had to say, as only the words "suffered a stroke" registered to her. Mako had a somewhat good grasp of medical terminology for a girl her age who had not studied medicine, but somehow, her mind failed to process all this information.

"Could you _please_ get to the point, Doctor?" Mako said, her voice carrying an uncharacteristic urgency that surprised even Myeonghwa and brought the rest of Anglerfish Team running once they heard it. "Is my grandma alright?"

"I'm very sorry, Reizei-san," Yusuke said. "Your grandmother is dead."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Mako said. "How could she be dead? She said she'd hold on until I became independent!" Then, almost as if she had forgotten who she was talking to, she added, "Damn it, Grandma! You always said you'd bounce back from stuff like this! How dare you lie to me!"

The rest of Anglerfish Team immediately understood what was going on, but remained silent for the moment.

"Again, Reizei-san, I would like to express my most sincere condolences for your loss," the doctor said. "There is some business relating to your grandmother's passing that needs to be addressed, but it seems now is not the best time, in several ways."

"No kidding..." Mako said bitterly as a tear slid down her face."

"In that case, I'll give you my contact information," the doctor said, and proceeded to do so. "I hope to hear from you soon."

"I'll be in touch," Mako said. "Goodbye."

Mako then hung up.

"Grandma's dead," Mako said, without preamble, as tears began streaming down her face.

A somber silence descended on Anglerfish Team, and as they moved to comfort Mako, they remembered what had happened after the first match of the last tournament. Back then, Mako had been driven by the overwhelming urge to reach her grandmother as quickly as possible. Back then, Mako that even if she could do nothing for her as she was, she could, in the worst case scenario, be there for her in her final moments.

But now, Hisako's death had come so suddenly, far earlier than Mako had hoped or even expected, and there was now nothing left for her to do for her. Her desperation was released with a quiet sense of grief and despair, and she felt unable to do anything more than stand there, weeping, in the company of her friends.

In the days and weeks ahead, Mako would likely have to deal with business related to her now deceased grandmother, but all that was finished, what was left for her? Now that she had lost the goal she had been trying so far all those years, what would she aim to accomplish now, and for whose sake would she devote her efforts? Finding those answers would not be an easy process, but Mako believed that, as she was now, even the first step was beyond her.

_"It seems that, even after all those years, I, on some level, counted on my grandma to always be there for me," _Mako thought. _"Have I learned anything at all since my parents died?_

* * *

As the Rinkai school ship pulled out to sea, Myeonghwa looked out at Oarai's ship, which was leaving as well on its own course. She let out a soft sigh, one that was audible to her friends nearby even if she did not notice them herself. Emi, who had come to fetch her once they were ready, was the only one who knew what was on her mind.

"You seem fairly glum, Myeonghwa," Nelly said. "In my opinion, we did pretty well in spite of losing, so what's got you down?"

"It's something I heard after the match, Nelly," Myeonghwa said. "Reizei Mako, my... one of the members of the Oarai team... had a death in the family during the match. To make matters worst, she lost the only family she had left."

Nelly, having heard Myeonghwa's story, nodded her head in understanding.

"I understand," Nelly said. "But what did you say she was to you?"

"I'd like to say, 'friend,' but I'm not sure if I can just yet," Myeonghwa said. "But so far I like her, and I'd like to get to know her. And now that she's grieving, I'd like to comfort her however I can."

"I think we could do that," Nelly said. "The coach considered the possibility of us losing, and we're planning on having exhibition matches with other schools later this year to continue to build our team up."

"I know," Myeonghwa said, realizing that those plans were for her benefit, as well as her yearmates and her juniors, like Nelly. Even though the third-years were graduating, they, particularly Satoha and Emi, who had come up with the plan alongside Alexandra, still hoped for the team's success and were invested in improving Rinkai's performance in tankery in years to come.

"But even with that, our classes and our homework, we're not completely booked solid," Nelly said. "I think we can spare a little time for a couple of our members to pay a visit to Oarai Academy."

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

Next up will be an interlude focusing on Mako, less to reveal her past and more to show its significance to her, similar to Maho's Interlude in the original fic. In this case, the question is simple, and one referenced by the chapter title. What goal does she have to work for now that she has lost her last remaining family member?


	29. Interlude 17: Mako

**Interlude 17: Mako**

The first day of class after the match with Rinkai, and her grandmother's death, Mako stumbled to school, walking up to the gate alone, having cried herself to sleep the previous night, and only gotten a few hours of sleep in the process. She wondered if the disciplinary committee members knew her well not just because of how often she was tardy, but because she often came by herself.

"You're late, Reizei-san," Saro said. "If you'd come even a minute later, I would have had to mark this as an unexcused absence."

Mako quickly glanced at her watch and, upon seeing the time- several minutes past the bell- raised an eyebrow.

"I thought that it was already too late for that..." Mako said.

"Your watch must be fast," Saro said. "In any case, get going before I change my mind."

Mako silently complied. As she reached the building, she turned back, and saw Saro looking back with a concerned expression on her face.

* * *

At practice, Mako met with the other members of Anglerfish Team inside the tankery hangar.

"How are you holding up, Mako-san?" Miho said.

Mako sighed.

"To be honest..." Mako said, "not well. The only good thing I can say about it is that I didn't hear the news before the match."

"I was afraid of that," Miho said. "...A few people spoke with me, saying they were worried about how you were taking your grandmother's passing."

"It's that bad, huh?" Mako said.

Saori sighed, as she and the rest of Anglerfish Team looked to one another, wondering how to respond.

"Well, a death in the family is quite hard," Saori said. "It was quite hard on me when I lost my grandma four years ago, and, well, my circumstances weren't the same as yours."

Miho nodded, thinking back to how her own grandmother had passed away around the same time. Hotaru was in many ways like her daughter Shiho, as she had no regrets about devoting her life to the Nishizumi school, and expected her daughter and granddaughters to do the same. But while Miho had few memories of her grandmother, much less a very strong bond with her, she still considered her grandmother family, and missed her.

Miho knew that Mako had her own experience with loss, and that subsequent deaths in the family did not get any easier. With that in mind, Miho made her decision.

"You're excused from practice for today, Mako-san," Miho said. "For our driver, let's try to see if we can get one of the new girls up to speed."

"Sorry for the trouble," Mako said. There was a time when she would have welcomed any excuse to get out of work of any nature, but she realized that she would not have been able to enjoy this reprieve back then, much less now.

"There's no need to apologize," Miho said. "You and the others came through when I was absent for the second round, so you shouldn't feel guilty about today. We'll talk later to discuss how you're feeling."

Practice proceeded without Mako, and featured a new recruit, Sanada Asuna, a first-year, in the driver's position. Although Asuna was reminded that this was a temporary arrangement, Asuna was nevertheless politely enthusiastic about the opportunity, and resolved to do her best so that they would offer her more such opportunities.

"Sanada-san is quite good at this," Hana said. "She's certainly better than I was when I started out. I can drive the tank various places, but doing it in a match is still beyond my abilities."

"I agree," Miho said. "Of course, it's still not necessarily fair or practical to replace any of our others with her."

"That's true, Nishizumi-dono," Yukari said. "Reizei-dono's still our best driver."

"I know," Saori said. "There are times when Mako's just not up to doing things, though, and it's not always because of laziness or low blood pressure. In the short term, we'd better give her some time to sort through her feelings. In the long term, we'll do our best to support Mako and get her back to the girl we know."

* * *

A few days later, Emi and Myeonghwa came to visit Oarai. They wore their uniforms, both for the sake of a good appearance, and believing that they were representing the school, in a sense. Much to Myeonghwa's surprise, Emi said that some Japanese schoolchildren wore school uniforms to funerals, in addition to suits, dresses and kimonos.

When Rinkai had first been established twenty years ago, the subject of the uniform was heavily debated. Some believed that, in order to accommodate people from certain cultures, it should not have one, but others overruled them, arguing that exchange students had to conform to the home country. The school had ultimately gone with a Western blazer-style uniform with a necktie, which they believed was similar to modern business wear, making it a professional look that was easy to identify with.

The two approached the gates and saw Saro there, in her uniform.

"I'm Nakasuga Emi and this is Choe Myeonghwa," Emi said. "We're here to visit."

"I'm glad you could make it, Nakasuga-san, Choe-san," Saro said. "Right this way."

As Gomoyo took over Saro's lookout post, Saro led Myeonghwa and Emi to the tankery team's meeting room, where they had been asked to come.

In the meeting room, Mako, sitting together with the rest of her team, Shiina and Natsumi, looked around, seeing her old friends and new ones.

"Myeonghwa, Nakasuga-san," Mako said. "Thank you for coming."

"I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, Mako," Myeonghwa said. "My teammates and I wanted to extend our sympathies. Not all of us could make it, but here's a gesture from my friends, my coach and I."

Myeonghwa handed an envelope to Mako, who opened it to find a card inside.

The card was a relatively plain one for consoling those grieving the loss of a loved one. Myeonghwa purchased it in a store on the Rinkai school ship, which sold many cards tailored to various cultures, as well as culturally neutral ones.

Myeonghwa made the choice carefully. She was a practicing Catholic who attended Mass regularly, but did not want to shove her beliefs in others' faces. So on the card, she wrote a simple note; "Mako, I am sorry to hear of your loss and am praying for you-Choe Myeonghwa" without specifying which god was hearing her prayers.

Mako opened the card, and saw a variety of signatures apart from Myeonghwa's note. Nelly's name was written in the Georgian script. Hao wrote her name in Standard Chinese. Satoha used kanji for her name. Aislinn, Megan, Emi, Alexandra, and Myeonghwa's teammates wrote in cursive.

"This is quite nice of you and the others from Rinkai," Mako said. "Thank you."

"I'm glad to hear that, because some of us weren't sure what to say," Myeonghwa said. "We didn't know your grandmother, and now, we'll never get the chance."

Mako nodded in agreement, finding it a short but effective .

"I understand what you're saying," Mako said. "But maybe it's time to change that, by telling you what my grandma meant to me."

"I'll mostly just stay quiet and listen," Emi said. "Signing the card along with the rest of Myeonghwa's friends is the only thing I know how to do without risking hurting someone's feelings."

"How much did Miho tell you about me, Nakasuga-san?" Mako said. "I'm hardly one for needless sentimentality, especially not now, so if you have something to say, then say it."

"Well, only a basic description, Reizei-san," Emi said. "She said you were smart, had trouble getting up in the mornings, and in spite of that, were always there for your friends and family. She didn't say anything about how little of your family was left, a bit like how I don't just go around telling people I've just met about Myeonghwa's dad."

"I see," Mako said. "It seems not all of you are on the same page, so to speak- I've known some of you for years, but others are people I've only just met. So I'll start with the basics- my grandmother, who passed away the day of the match with Rinkai, was my last remaining relative, and for almost a decade, was the only one I had."

"Why don't you start earlier than that, Mako?" Saori said. "Why not tell us what sort of people your parents were like when they were alive?"

"Ok," Mako said. "I was born into a working-class family. Both my parents had jobs, and it wasn't always easy for them to make ends meet. I think they wanted me to get a better job than they did, perhaps more so than most parents. Of course, I didn't exactly get that at the time."

* * *

_10 years ago  
_

Mako's father sat by and supervised his daughter as she did her homework. She'd balked at doing it before, leading to some late nights, and her father had to step in to make sure that it got done.

"Mako, do you know why your mother and I are so insistent that you do your homework?" Mako's father said as he noticed that his daughter was slowing down once again.

"Because the teachers are?" Mako said.

Mako's father let off a soft sigh. Clearly, getting through to his daughter would be harder than he anticipated.

"And why do you suppose that is?" Mako's father said. "Why do they go to all the trouble of making you do this work outside of school?"

"So that we can learn this stuff?" Mako said. "Honestly, I was hoping you could tell me, Dad."

Mako's father cleared his throat to compose himself, lest he say something he would end up regretting.

"Education is quite important in our society," Mako's father said. "By the time you're done with school, you will have learned many skills- how to read and write in your native tongue and another language, how to use arithmetic, the history of our country and the world, the laws of nature, and many more skills. And once you've learned all that, will be expected to put those skills to use so that you can earn a living and contribute to society in the future."

Mako subtly rolled her eyes.

"A job like yours, then?" Mako said. "That's hardly an appealing prospect."

"Actually, I do what I do so that you _don't_ get a job like mine, Mako," Mako's father said, his tone becoming firmer.

Mako remained silent, caught off guard. She had previously thought of listening to her father's story as a way to put off doing her homework, but she actually found herself interested in what he was talking about at this point. He no longer seemed to be preaching to her, but talking about himself.

"When I was back in high school, I made some decisions I ended up regretting," Mako's father said, "and among them was not applying myself in school. I was too young to understand why I should do so, but not young enough to avoid having to live with the consequences of what I failed to learn. So I ended up not getting into college, and there were some jobs I couldn't get, all because of consistently making bad decisions over a period of years."

"What job would you have worked if you did, Dad?" Mako said, still not sold on the idea of working for a living.

"Good question, Mako," Mako's father said. "The fact is that, back then, none of the subjects seemed to catch my interest, so I couldn't really find an area that would translate well into a future career. The best I could manage once I grew up was finding a career that I was qualified for, that I could use to pay the bills, and that I could tolerate enough to go to work every day. Your mother, despite having similarly limited career options, was luckier in her first job."

_"Was?"_ Mako said. "Mom's _first_ job?"

Mako's father nodded, glad that his daughter was already starting to grasp the point.

"Not long after we married, we had you, and your mother's job didn't work well with raising a young daughter," Mako's father said. "So once her maternity leave ended, she had to get another job with more convenient hours, even if it's... not as good in other ways. She couldn't stop working altogether, even if she's less than satisfied with the job she has."

To Mako, something did not quite fit in her father's story. The way he said it, her birth sounded spontaneous, rather than planned, as she had been led to believe.

"And Mom was... fine with that?" Mako said.

"She thinks it's a good trade," Mako's father said. "She sacrificed much, but she was able to raise you while still helping to provide for you. In this world, you can't get anything without giving something, whether it's money, time or effort."

While aware of what the word "sacrifice" meant, as a result of her large vocabulary for her age, Mako did not know its true meaning.

"I still don't understand Mom's decision," Mako said. "Nor do I understand putting in all this effort now."

"I didn't think so," Mako's father said. "Back then, my mother said the same thing to me, and it went in one ear and out the other. It might be too much to ask you to think years into the future, but let me make things clear now. If you do not meet our expectations of you at school, then we will not allow you to do the things you enjoy at home. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Dad," Mako said.

Mako resumed doing her homework. Despite not enjoying or understanding the necessity of schoolwork any more than before, she now had an incentive to do it, and for now, that was as good a reason as any. In spite of that, she still had trouble envisioning the future, or the kind of person she would become in a decade or more.

_"I think I understand why you and Mom are so strict with me, Dad," _Mako thought. _"I just can't imagine myself doing everything you do for me."_

* * *

_Present day_

"Back then, I really didn't understand the idea of what it meant to make sacrifices for your family," Mako said. "Maybe nothing has changed in that regard since back then."

"Your parents sound a bit like mine, apart from the reasons behind their decisions," Shiina said.

"Maybe," Mako said. "I suppose it's natural for parents to want their kids to be better off."

Myeonghwa nodded.

"My mom is financially secure, so I'm glad we don't have to worry about that," Myeonghwa said. "But when I see her working hard, I have some idea of what it means to make sacrifices for those you care for."

"That's hardly what I call an idyllic family memory, Reizei-san," Emi said. "I thought Takebe-san convinced you to start with the more pleasant stuff."

"It shows what kind of people my parents were," Mako said, "the kind who selflessly provide for their daughter while hoping that she'll be better off in the future, which makes it a pleasant memory in hindsight. And it also shows the first time I came to learn of how you have to live with the consequences of your actions even if you don't understand them. That's one of many lessons I, for all my supposed intelligence, didn't understand until later."

"Intelligence isn't everything, Mako," Myeonghwa said. "My mom's one of the smartest people I know, and she says that there are some things only life can teach you."

"I know," Mako said. "But all the same, I wish the 'tuition fee' wasn't so steep."

Saori let off a sigh. She knew what Mako had in mind when she decided to tell her story, but decided to change the subject to something more pleasant.

"Before we get into _that_, Mako, didn't you meet me around this time?" Saori said.

"I did," Mako said. "Saori was my first close friend at school, and the girl I've known the longest. She and I are almost as different as night and day, but we happen to complement each other well"

* * *

_10 years ago  
_

Mako was sitting at an empty table, eating lunch by herself, when an orange-haired girl walked over, one Mako saw around the school sometimes, and knew she was in the same grade.

"Mind if I sit here?" Saori said.

"Don't see why not," Mako said. She was unenthusiastic about having company, but unwilling to ask Saori to leave.

"I do seem to recall you sitting with your friends all the time," Mako said. "Why aren't you with them?"

"Well, they're not here today," Saori said. "Oh, I'm forgetting my manners. I'm Takebe Saori."

"Reizei Mako," Mako said. "It's nice to meet you, Takebe-san."

"Same here, Reizei-san," Saori said. "Oh, and do you mind if I call you by your first name?"

"Already?" Mako said, incredulously. Mako tended to casually socialize with others, not taking the time to become very close with them. As such, she found it surprising that the girl would take a step reserved for close friends immediately after meeting her, wondering for a moment if it cheapened the meaning of such a gesture.

"Well, you don't have to if you don't want to," Saori said. "I just think of it as something friends do. You can do the same with me if you want."

Mako paused to consider Saori's offer for a moment. Saori had always struck her as somewhat ditzy, seemingly charging forward without thinking things through. But perhaps her perspective was the correct one, and there were times when things were that simple. Mako wondered if doing things with such enthusiasm would be more enjoyable, and if she might get out of her pursuits what she put into them. This idea was not enough to change her perspective, but it did encourage her to take one step in that direction.

"You certainly do take things quickly," Mako said. "But I'm no longer sure that's a bad thing, Saori."

"Great!" Saori said. "It's nice to meet you, Mako."

The two talked about school for a few minutes, until lunch ended, and they returned to the classroom with a promise to keep seeing each other for lunch. But while the two hit it off nicely, they had no idea that their friendship would last over a decade.

* * *

_Present day_

"Saori was a breath of fresh air," Mako said. "She was energetic and cheerful where I was lethargic and gloomy. Things didn't always come easily to her, but she persisted nevertheless."

"That sounds very much like the Saori-san we know today," Miho said with a smile.

"I was slightly jealous about how Mako could get really good grades when she actually tried," Saori said, "but at the same time, I understood that getting up early was much more difficult for her than it was for me. We all have things we struggle with, and once we realize that, it becomes easier to have empathy for others."

"Of course, 'good,' is somewhat relative, Saori," Mako said. "I wasn't always top of the class, and my parents realized that I could do significantly better, even if I was doing better than you were. I'd started to understand why they wanted me to succeed, but I was less convinced how much my efforts now would translate into success later on."

Shiina nodded. By the time she had gotten the idea to get only mediocre grades to keep expectations low, her mother had already become aware of her potential, and had become strict enough that getting to near the top of the class became the path of least resistance.

"Eventually, the pressure got to be too much, and I blew up at my mother," Mako said, "not understanding that she was trying to help me or knowing it would be the last conversation we would ever have."

* * *

_The argument_

Mako, in her school uniform, sat at the kitchen, eating breakfast. She always found breakfast to be her least favorite meal of the day, since it always seemed like a hasty meal before the day began. When she lived on her own, Mako typically had simple fare for breakfast, such as a slice or two of toast, having little desire to prepare breakfast on top of her other morning routines.

Mako finished her breakfast before long, even going at a slightly leisurely pace, and was about to get up and leave.

"Before you go, Mako, I have one more thing to say to you," Mako's mother said. "When you're at school, you should be applying yourself wholeheartedly."

"I'm doing well enough, aren't I?" Mako said. "Isn't it enough to pass my classes?"

"No," Mako's mother said, "not when you could be doing so much better. You get out of your education what you put into it. Since you have the potential to go far, and since education determines how far you go in life, there is no reason not to try harder.

"That's easy for you to say," Mako said. "You're not the one who has to get out of bed in the morning, study hard, and worry about whether your performance is 'good enough' for certain people."

"This is for your own good, young lady!" Mako's mother said. "It's so you won't have to work a job you hate alongside your husband for a kid who doesn't care at all what sacrifices you're making for her!"

Mako's expression turned uncomfortable. Her mother had gotten her in a tough spot, and there was no counter she could make to her argument without making things worse for herself. But she still seethed with anger over everything she had heard, and so found it too difficult to make an apology. On the spur of the moment, Mako decided to make one last parting shot before running off.

"Well then, Mom," Mako said, "if it's so darn important, I'd better get going, shouldn't I?"

Without saying another word or waiting to hear another one from her mother, Mako dashed off to school, ignoring her mother calling after her. The phrase "lesser of two evils" came to mind, because as much as she disliked school, having to listen to her teachers seemed preferable to listening to her mother.

_"Mom, I know you're looking out for me," _Mako thought. _"But I really, really wish you'd just get off my back for once."_

* * *

_Present day_

"So there you have it," Mako said, "what I consider my greatest regret. Right now, the me back then probably comes off as quite a brat to all of you."

"Not nearly as much as I was at that age," Emi said. "You were just unlucky enough to pay a far greater price for it."

Miho let off a sigh. In elementary school, Emi had a reputation for being brutally honest and abrasive with others, and was largely disliked until she met Miho and her friends. Even after she did so, however, her attitude caused some of the group's disputes. Emi ultimately meant well, though, even if she disliked sentimentality, and Miho was unsure of how to say that.

Luckily for Miho, Saro went first.

"Though Sodoko would like to claim otherwise about herself, most of us have misbehaved or acted ungratefully toward our parents at one point," Saro said. "Sometimes it's a result of being selfish, but there are certain things that make more sense to an adult than a kid, and vice versa, leading to... disagreements, like yours. Over the years, I've butted heads with my parents over similar subjects. The only difference is that I'm somewhat luckier than you, Reizei-san."

Mako, having heard from two of the more brutally honest listeners, scanned the rest, and saw they were silent. Mako concuded that they were simply being polite, as normal, but noticed one friend who had once been more forthcoming with her opinion.

"Cat got your tongue, Saori?" Mako said. "You were more willing to chew me out for saying what I did the day it happened."

"Yeah, Mako," Saori said. "But back then, I was no more aware of what happened than you were."

"What was_ going to_ happen," Mako said, correcting Saori. "From what I heard later, my parents were alive at the time we encountered each other."

* * *

_Eight years ago  
_

As Saori joined Mako on the walk to school, not far from the school gates she noticed something off about Mako. Mako was not just listless and lethargic in the morning, but sullen and bitter. Her dispassionate expression was replaced by a glare, albeit one that Saori did not initially notice.

"Morning, Mako," Saori said.

Mako gloomily mumbled a response. Saori could not understand Mako's words, but knew from her tone alone that the morning had been worse than usual.

"Is something wrong, Mako?" Saori said. "You seem to be in a bad mood, even considering that it's the morning."

"I had a fight with my mom before I left," Mako said. "She's been going on and on about how I need to do well at school again and I lost my temper and ran off."

Saori paused, then fixed Mako with a glare, taking Mako by surprise. Saori was usually at least somewhat sympathetic to her complaints. When Mako complained about getting up early for school, Saori admitted that it was less than pleasant, even if they had no choice in the matter. But this time, she had no intention of making any concessions.

"You know what I think, Mako?" Saori said. "I think your parents were trying to help you by telling you what's best for you. Our parents may not always be right, but the least you can do is be grateful for them when they try to help you."

Mako stood, tongue-tied for a moment, not having expected or prepared for Saori saying something like this. But even apart from that, she realized that she found it difficult to argue against her without sounding selfish.

"All right, all right," Mako said. "I'll apologize to my parents."

Saori sighed. Mako had a tendency to do things merely to get people off her back, and this seemed to be no exception. But in the end, it was ultimately up to Mako to do what was best in this case, or live with the consequences.

"Ok, Mako, I hope you do," Saori said.

With the same thoughts in mind, the two let the conversation drop and proceeded to school.

* * *

In the last period of the day, Mako sat, having finished her problems. Whenever she was not distracted by her work, she found her mind going back to the argument. It was clear that it was an ongoing issue, and a mere apology would not be all that was necessary to solve it.

In spite of the somewhat abundant amount of time she had to think it over, Mako could not think of any other acceptable course of action besides apologizing. Perhaps her parents would punish her even if she apologized, but perhaps she deserved it. It was difficult to accept, but she had to admit that they were in the right, and she had to be mature enough to admit it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the PA system chiming to get students' attention, which caused all students and faculty to turn to it, even if the message was only for a single individual..

"Reizei Mako-san, please come to the main office; your grandmother has a _very_ important message for you," the PA system said, before repeating its message for clarity.

Mako was a relatively patient individual, but that patience did not apply in times in which she felt as though someone was keeping her in suspense. Why couldn't the announcer just tell her what her grandmother had to say to her, or was it something that the entire school did not need to know?

Shortly after Mako left, Saori called out a hasty excuse to the teacher, taking a few moments to think of an excuse and make it seem as though she wasn't going out to follow Mako.

A few minutes later, Mako reached the main office, with Saori following behind her.

"Thank you for coming, Mako," Hisako said, her tone oddly polite, yet solemn. Mako remembered that her grandmother had always been slightly surly, even if she was not as much so before the senseless and tragic events of this day embittered her.

"What's this about, Grandma?" Mako said. "Can't you have my parents tell me when I get home?"

"Unfortunately, no," Hisako said. "This is _about_ your parents. At noon today, the two of them had an auto accident. Both of them are dead."

Mako paled in shock.

"No... this can't be... it isn't..." she began, before breaking down into tears. As young as Mako was, she understood the finality of death. Her maternal grandparents had died before she was born, and her paternal grandfather had died when she was a young girl. She understood that the accident that day had parted her from her parents forever, and she would never be able to speak to, apologize to or even be scolded by them again. Her mistakes had become as permanent and long-lasting as her father's had been in the past, and she was beginning to understand what he was referring to when it meant having to live with their consequences.

Saori, standing outside, heard Mako's cries and rushed in to comfort her. Despite having some idea of what was going through her friend's mind, she found that there was little that she could say that would help. She simply hoped that being there for Mako and comforting her would be enough, both for the moment and for the years to come.

* * *

_Present day_

Those listening to Mako had gone silent, some speechless out of surprise, while others quiet in solemn recognition of what Mako had told them.

"I suppose that's how life goes sometimes," Mako said. "You don't always get second chances or the opportunities to right your wrongs. Terrible things can happen without warning or reason. And there are times when there's nothing left to live with the consequences of what happened, as well as the knowledge that it's you're fault."

Myeonghwa nodded.

"I know," Myeonghwa said. "My father died in a plane crash. Our last conversation ended on good terms, as before he said goodbye, I wished him luck and expressed appreciation for his offer to buy me a souvenir. But in the end, he's never coming back."

The others remained in uneasy silence. Back then, Mako and Myeonghwa had no more reason to expect tragedy to befall their family than they did at this point, so they realized that they could not take their loved ones for granted.

"On further thought, the fact that I couldn't apologize to Mom was only part of a larger issue," Mako said. "The fact of the matter was that I was still in the stage of my life when I was dependent on my parents, and couldn't give anything back to them."

"I feel the same way, Mako," Myeongwha said. "As I said before, as difficult as things sometimes are for my mother, and despite being on a school ship in another country, I'm not fully independent from her yet."

"Well, you aren't quite living under her roof or doing everything she says," Mako said. "You don't need your mom to tell you to get out of bed, clean your apartment or do your homework, even if she's paying your rent, your tuition and your other bills. That's the difference between a teenager in high school and a little kid in elementary school."

Myeonghwa silently conceded the point. There were times when she did wonder if she could help her mother with her research as a professor, but she could barely understand what she read of her papers, in spite of her fluency in French, and her mother only worked with her graduate students and fellow professors. Clearly, Myeonghwa's concerns were quite minor in comparison.

"To put it bluntly," Mako said, "when my parents died, I was essentially doing nothing more than eating the food they bought while complaining about doing things that were good for me."

"You couldn't help that, Mako," Saori said. "You were just a kid, just like I was. It doesn't make it right, but it's a lot easier for adults to judge the actions of kids- including what they themselves did as kids- than it is for kids to understand adults."

"Yeah, that's right," Shiina said. "If we understood the right thing to do from the beginning, what's the point of parents raising us?"

Mako nodded.

"I guess," Mako said. "But I wanted them to look back on raising me and conclude that they did a good job. As such, whenever someone who knew my parents tells me they'd be proud of me, it's bittersweet. Maybe they succeeded, but they'll never know that they did. It's a bit like firing a tank shell without being able to see it strike your target or hear the sound of the explosion."

Hana nodded. While the sound of the cannon firing was her favorite part of being the gunner, she also took great pleasure and pride in shooting her targets, and was glad that she was a valued member of the team.

"It hardly seems productive to live your life governed by your regrets," Emi said, "to have your decisions in the present and future be influenced by what you think you should have done in the past."

"Guilt wasn't my only motivation," Mako said. "In being deprived of my parents, I learned to appreciate the family members I had left, and resolved that even if my grandmother and I often argued, we wouldn't let our relationship end on bad terms. Unfortunately, my maternal grandparents were dead, as was my paternal grandfather, and it wasn't long before I learned that Grandma's health was deteriorating."

Mako did some counting on her fingers before turning back to the others.

"I honestly can't say when it all began," Mako said. "But the first incident I heard about happened while I was in middle school- in other words, spending most of the year out at sea, away from my parents, as a natural consequence of being on a school ship."

"As some say, it's not a bug, it's a feature," Saro said. "There are children who are happier to get away from home, and parents who believe that their children benefit from getting experience living independently."

"Perhaps so, Hirose-dono," Yukari said. "But there are those who have happier family lives, and those, like me, whose families live on school ships. Some may say that I'm not getting as much experience living on my own, but I"m happy to stay with my folks."

Mako nodded in agreement, having fully understood Yukari's feelings from the moment she first met her parents.

"The missing members aside, my family was relatively happy," Mako said, "so a part of me did not want to spend most of the yea at sea. Thanks to a school break, though, I was lucky enough to be in town for my grandma's first medical related emergency."

* * *

_Five years ago_

On a school break from middle school, Mako visited Saori at her home. The two girls sat in the living room, having a conversation.

"I'm glad to have you at home again, Saori," Saori's father said. "And it's good to have you over, Mako-chan; it's been a while since you came home."

"School ships are meant to promote independence, Dad," Saori said. "It'd kind of defeat the point if we were home all the time."

_"Nice words, Saori," _Mako thought, _"but it's obvious that you want to keep your quest for a boyfriend secret from your folks."_

"Well, parents do often get the empty nest feeling," Saori's father said. "And, I suppose, so do the ki..."

"Dad!" Saori said, cutting her father off. "Don't say that!"

"I'm sorry, Mako-chan," Saori's father said. "I, well... forgot about you."

"It's not a problem," Mako said. "Grandma feels the same way you do, even if she's not the type to openly admit it. It was the same when Dad went off to middle school."

Mako's cell phone then began to ring. Most of the time, she left it on, except for situations in which she would get in trouble if it rang, such as in class or at the movie theaters.

"Ah, speak of the devil," Saori's father said. "Is that your grandma, Mako-chan?"

Mako shook her head as she looked at the caller ID, not recognizing the number.

"No, I don't recognize the number," Mako said. "This had better not be a prank caller."

Mako picked up the call.

"Hello?" Mako said.

"Reizei Mako-san?" an unfamiliar voice said. "Your grandmother has collapsed and has been taken to the hospital. You were the only one listed as an emergency contact."

In hindsight, Mako would come to wonder whether the doctor had, until meeting her in person, realized that Mako was Hisako's granddaughter, and new to middle school. But

"Is Grandma alright?" Mako said.

"She fell inside her home, and was rushed to the hospital," the caller said.

Surprisingly enough, Mako managed to retain the presence of mind in order to get all the necessary information- how long ago it was, where the hospital was, and what to do once she got there. Once she obtained all that, she turned to Saori and her father, who had overheard the conversation, and filled in the details.

"My grandma's collapsed," Mako said. "They've taken her to the hospital."

"The local hospital?" Saori's father said, and Mako nodded. "Then we don't have any time to waste; let's get going!"

The three quickly piled into the Takebe family car and drove to the hospital as quickly as they could legally and safely go. While Mako already had a bad reputation for chronic tardiness, albeit not enough tardies that she was at risk of being held back, this was one time when she desperately wanted to reach her destination as quickly as possible.

* * *

_At the hospital_

Some time later, after a meeting with the doctor, Mako returned to the waiting room. Saori and her father, who were busying themselves reading news magazines that were a few weeks old, put down their reading materials, stood up and turned to her.

"So how's your grandma, Mako?" Saori said.

"Her condition is stable, and the doctors said she will recover... this time," Mako said.

"That's a relief," Saori said.

"Yes, but both of us were lucky this time," Mako said. "I happened to be at shore, and the incident wasn't too severe for Grandma. But what if it got worse?"

"Well, you can't necessarily put your life on hold all the time for your grandma," Saori said, "especially not when you're still a student. I may not be as smart as you, but I've got my hands full just keeping up with school."

"Then I'll have to do something about that, shall I?" Mako said. "Perhaps once I finish my education, I may be able to get a job closer to Grandma."

Mako realized that her options were limited. Skipping grades was something that almost never happened. Her parents had expected her to go on to higher education, so whatever her future plans were, she would need to go to college. But even with the road as long as it is, Mako vowed to make steady progress, and one day become a woman who could take care of her grandmother.

* * *

_Present day_

"I've made my share of bad decisions over the years," Mako said, "but after unexpectedly losing my parents, I'm not foolish enough to ignore the warning signs of the same possibly happening to my grandmother, even if I hoped it wouldn't end this way."

"That's more commonly known as 'learning the hard way,' Reizei-san," Saro said. "There are two kinds of people responsible for teaching children- those who believe that letting children learn the hard way is the only way to teach them a lesson, and those who teach so that they will never have to learn that way."

"Of course, there was a more immediate obstacle to caring for her, and that was waking up on time," Mako said. "My sleep pattern was never the most compatible with school schedules, much to my parents' dismay. It only got worse when worrying about Grandma kept me awake until I conked out from exhaustion. And even then, I often dreamed about waking up to a voicemail message with bad news."

"So then what happened?" Emi said.

"It got to the point at which I had racked up enough tardies that I would have been held back unless they were somehow cleared," Mako said. "As luck would have it, the tankery team was offering to excuse up to 200 tardies of those who participated in and did well in tankery, as they were trying to save the school from closing by winning the tournament. To put a long story short, I succeeded, and now stand before you a third-year."

The others eyed Mako with sympathetic expressions, save for Saro, who was busy thinking through a logical flaw in Mako's ideals.

"To be honest, Reizei-san, how did you expect to be available for your grandmother at all hours of the day if you couldn't regularly get to the same place, at the same time, on an almost daily basis?" Saro said.

Saro's comment drew a look of disapproval from Saori. Miho, Hana and Myeongwha's expressions indicated their efforts to find a polite way to object. Shiina sighed, not liking Saro's argument but having trouble thinking of a rebuttal. But Mako glanced at them and shook her head before turning back to Saro.

"Good question, Saro," Mako said. "I might make an excuse about not being good in the mornings, and about having low blood pressure, but the fact is that I was going the extra mile, and had to do the small things before I could do the big ones. And who's more obsessed with the small things than your esteemed colleague Sodoko is?"

"Hardly anyone," Saro said. "Her Quixotic crusade to uphold the school's morals inspired me to start taking my job seriously, but I imagine that it'd get on most people's nerves."

"I have to agree," Saori said. "She got on my case for helping Mako get here in the morning. Granted, she didn't do much more than mark me late and say 'don't make it a habit', but I found it somewhat irksome."

Mako nodded in agreement.

* * *

_Two years ago_

About a week after the start of the school year, Mako sleepily walked onto campus, when she saw a blue-haired girl.

"You're late again, Reizei-san," Sodoko said.

"Do I know you?" Mako said, wondering who knew her without her having to introduce herself.

"Sono Midoriko, second-year and member of the disciplinary committee," Sodoko said. "So far, you're one of the few students who has shown up late every single day."

"So...do...ko..." Maho mumbled, the other syllables in Sodoko's name coming out unintelligibly.

"That's Sono-senpai to you, Reizei-san!" Sodoko said. She was adamant that she be called by her proper name, since her surname was short and easy to pronounce and she believed there were no excuses for not using her proper name. She could reluctantly accept being called by her last name without honorifics, but using a nickname was something else entirely.

"Whatever, Sodoko..." Mako said as she walked off.

At the time, Sodoko, in Mako's eyes, represented everything she had disliked about her parents, without the good parts. Sodoko was a stickler for the rules, but Mako did not believe that it was out of concern for her as much as it was out of some desire to appear superior to others and uphold her code. What more was there to Sodoko than the obsessive desire to conform to others' expectations? Mako had no inkling of the answer, nor any reason to suspect that there was any personal reason for Sodoko to do what she did.

* * *

_Present day_

"Essentially, Sodoko was the only one who took her position as seriously as she believed it should be taken," Mako said."If I were less kind, I'd have assumed that she was nitpicking about the rules in order to cover up her insecurities."

"And you're not _entirely_ wrong," Saro said. "Sodoko actually confided in me that she believes that working hard and following the rules are the only things she's good at."

"She doesn't think she's good at even enforcing the rules?" Mako said.

Saro chuckled.

"You really think she would say otherwise when, among other things, a few people go around in dress code-defying historical costumes?" Saro said. "I may be her friend, but even I can't say with a straight face that people take Sodoko anywhere as seriously as she wishes."

"How much of that's because she set her expectations too high, and how much is it because she's hard on herself?" Mako said.

Saro shrugged.

"My uncle would say that it's because Sodoko had unrealistic expectations of what being a disciplinary committee member means," Saro said. "But Sodoko is a relatively humble individual, who's fully aware of her shortcomings. She's aware that she doesn't have the power to force students to follow the rules all the time, or even obey her. She also knows that she's not especially good at tankery, being a relative newcomer even among Oarai's team."

Mako nodded.

"When Sodoko joined the team, she needed my help," Mako said. "She was willing to ask for it, albeit honest enough to admit that she didn't like it. One might say that she desperately wanted to outdo me, but she really did see the entire thing as a matter of duty to the team."

"You're mostly correct, Reizei-san," Saro said, "except for the part where you believed Sodoko could surpass you. From the semifinals to the finals, she was desperately playing catch-up, trying to do well enough to not be a burden to our more experienced colleagues, and defeat our even more experienced opponents. I actually feel the same way, since I'm still behind most of you in terms of skill, much less people like Nishizumi-san or my cousin."

"You're actually doing well, Hirose-san," Miho said. "Your crew managing to stay in the game, combined with Mako-san's driving, were a large part of the reason why we defeated Rinkai."

"Thank you, Nishizumi-san," Saro said. "I think of it as what I owe my team and my school. So if Reizei-san doesn't mind, I'd like to share why Sodoko decided to delete Reizei-san's tardies."

"Go right ahead," Mako said.

* * *

_Last year, after the finals_

A few days after the finals, when all the victory celebrations had ended, Sodoko met with Gomoyo, Pazomi and Saro inside the disciplinary committee office. The office, located near the student council office, was fairly small, although it had a meeting room that enabled the higher-ranking members of the club to meet. This time, however, only four people were there, so they gathered around Sodoko's desk to discuss the finals.

"Is it true, Sodoko?" Saro said. "Did you really absolve Reizei-san of her tardies?"

"I can confirm it, Saro," Gomoyo said. "I was there when Sodoko cleared Reizei-san's record, and Reizei-san hu-"

"Gomoyo!" Sodoko said, blushing. "Well, she wasn't the only beneficiary. A few others benefited from the tardiness passes, even if they weren't up to the point at which they were in serious trouble. Nishizumi-san had a few tardies to her name, so they were naturally wiped away when she helped us win the tournament."

"That may be so," Gomoyo said. "But you also cleared _all_ of Reizei-san's tardies and unexcused absences, not just the 200 she was promised."

Sodoko nodded, knowing that she could not contest Gomoyo's evidence or reasoning.

"To put it simply, she has helped us in our hour of need, and it's only appropriate that she be given a fitting reward," Sodoko said. "Since she helped us remain open, she can be forgiven for her previous tardiness, and if she keeps up a good rate of attendance, she can graduate on time, and proudly call herself an alumna of Oarai. It's a matter of doing the right thing, rather than obligations or debts. It's that simple."

The others nodded in agreement, expectantly waiting for Sodoko to get to the point.

"Anyway, that's not the main reason I wanted to see you," Sodoko said. "All of you know that I'm graduating at the end of the year, and I need a replacement, both as head of the disciplinary committee and as commander of Mallard Team."

"But isn't Nishizumi-san responsible for appointing commanders?" Pazomi said.

"She's willing to let teams sort it out as long as we're able to handle things," Sodoko said. "And I think it's best if we have a volunteer."

"I see," Pazomi said. "I was just asking."

Gomoyo sighed.

"I was hoping you'd volunteer, Pazomi," Gomoyo said. "As far as tankery goes, I felt as though I could hardly keep up as a driver, much less command. And I don't think I'm confident enough to be the leader."

"I understand, Gomoyo," Sodoko said. "I'm honestly not asking too much of you, though, since I was no more competent in my command role than you were as a driver. Of course, I'm not forcing anyone to apply, since I have dozens of possible candidates, even discounting the third-years. But I will say that back when I was a second-year, I volunteered to become head of the disciplinary committee out of a desire to serve, and joined the team to protect Oarai's good name and, later, its very existence. If you would like to become a candidate for leadership, do so because it's right, not because someone else is telling you to do so."

Saro paused and took a moment to consider what Sodoko had just said. At the moment, the expectations of her parents were far from her mind. Oarai's disciplinary committee needed a new leader for the next year, the first of its new lease on life.

Someone had to do it, not unlike how Sodoko and the others had volunteered to fill an empty tank and ensure that Oarai put its best foot forward in the tankery tournament. For Saro, her membership in the disciplinary committee had once been something she had done because her parents had done it, but she had grown to appreciate what they were doing. Because it was worth doing, she wanted to continue. And because she cared enough to help, she would be the leader it needed.

"I'm interested," Saro said.

Sodoko nodded approvingly.

"Excellent," Sodoko said. "I'll ask around to see if anyone else wants to apply, but you're officially one of the candidates."

As the girls went their separate ways, Saro remembered, for the first time since the subject came up, how her parents had expected her to apply for the position of head of the disciplinary committee when it became open. She was pursuing the position because she wanted it, not because of her parents expected her to do so. Rather than anticipating her parents' praise or fearing the consequences of failure, she was planning for the future, coming up with how best to serve the disciplinary committee as its leader or as a rank-and-file member.

* * *

_Present day_

"That conversation we had says a great deal about why Sodoko does what she does," Saro said. "For better or worse, she doesn't need any motivation to uphold her own moral code."

Mako silently reminisced about all the run-ins she had with Sodoko. In Mako's first and second years of high school, she had encountered most of the disciplinary committee that had been on morning duty at least once, but Sodoko was the one she had seen most often.

"Yeah, I suppose Sodoko's a bit like my parents," Mako said. "She got on my nerves at times, but I owe her a debt, and I do actually miss her now that she's gone, even if I might see her again someday."

Saro nodded approvingly, also hoping to see Sodoko again soon.

"You certainly have the... interesting lot on the disciplinary committee," Emi said, "especially the part in which you all look alike. In ours, you're lucky to see two that look very much alike, apart from this uniform."

"Interesting," Saro said. "I'd like to hear a little about your school's disciplinary committee."

"The process of getting on is somewhat strict," Myeonghwa said. "You must have good grades and a clean disciplinary record. Until a few years ago, you had to have attended the school for an entire year to qualify- but they waived that when the exchange students complained that some of them would never qualify. You need to be interviewed by the committee's faculty advisor and student head, and they have to like what they hear. You also need to pass a test on cultural sensitivity and other job-related problems, although they do give you a book to study beforehand."

"Wow, that sounds onerous," Mako said.

"Yeah, it is," Emi said. "But at the same time, it's a difficult and often thankless job. They need to be able to deal with students who find them overly strict, and deal with other potentially delicate situations."

Mako paused to consider what Emi was saying about their job. She started to appreciate what Sodoko was doing somewhat more, and wondered if perhaps Sodoko's overzealous enforcement of the rules might be normal in another school, while said school might be less tolerant of their behavior. Whatever the case may be, she was glad that she was at Oarai.

"But let's get back to my life," Mako said. "As you just heard from Saro, my tardies were well over the acceptable level, and I needed to erase nearly all of them in order to graduate. As luck would have it our student council was desperate enough to save our school by winning the tournament that they gave out certain incentives for participation, among them tardiness passes."

"If I recall correctly though, Reizei-san," Saro said, "you not only had to participate, but also _do well._"

"Correct again," Mako said. "But I found that once I was able to drag myself out of bed in the mornings and get there, the practice and matches went surprisingly easily. Of course, the tankery matches were a twice-removed means to an end- I did it so that I could erase my tardies _so that_ I could graduate on time **_so that_** I could care for my grandmother. The latter goal was most difficult, and the least under my direct control."

The rest of Anglerfish Team nodded their heads in comprehension. Even those who did not know Mako as well understood what she was getting at, since they had learned more about Mako in one conversation than most learned in the entire time they knew her.

"In the last tournament, after the first round, Grandma collapsed again, and that's when the rest of my crewmates found out about my family life, such as it is," Mako said. "I'm not going to say too much, but some of my teammates found that my experience helped them get perspective on their own."

"Yes, Mako-san," Hana said. "You were correct that I could not afford to waste time reconciling with my mother, despite- as well as because- of how it would not be a short or easy process."

"Grandma was out of the hospital in time for the finals," Mako said, "and it was good to see her in high spirits over my victory. In spite of that, I knew that it would only be a matter of time before she passed away... but even so, I wasn't prepared for it so soon. I had thought I had prepared myself for how cruel reality can be and how suddenly death can come, but I never expected our phone conversation on the morning of the semifinals to be our last."

"No one is truly 'ready' for the loss of a loved one, Mako," Myeonghwa said. "Mom told me once that she would have given almost anything for as little as five more minutes with Dad. She said that she might have made some excuse about wanting to say goodbye to him, to say something to or hear something from him, or plan for the future, but she simply wanted him around, even for a little longer. I felt the same way."'

Mako nodded in agreement.

"I do want some more time with Grandma around," Mako said. "But more than anything, I do feel a little lost after Grandma's death. I'm not sure if it's because of grief, but to some degree, I feel as though I lost the goal that I've been striving toward, as if Miho told me to stop driving toward my destination."

"Perhaps, to use a metaphor, you could keep going on your current course," Saro said.

"What do you mean, Saro?" Mako said.

"Your goal was to graduate and become a responsible adult so you could care for your grandmother?" Saro said. "Perhaps you could keep striving for the former, even if your grandmother's no longer waiting for you to reach that point."

"I'll try," Mako said noncommittally. "But is it really an easy thing to do something for an entirely different reason than you started doing it?"

Miho shook her head sympathetically. She knew that finding her own way of tankery was not an easy process, not when her mother had worked to discourage her from doing so. But she remained silent and glanced at Saro, knowing it was her question to answer.

"My parents put pressure on me to get involved in the disciplinary committee," Saro said. "They considered it a nice and respectful extracurricular activity. I, however, wasn't interested at first. In that regard, I'm more like you than Sodoko. But my position did grow on me over time, and while I never quite took things as seriously as Sodoko did, due to being somewhat more cynical at heart I found her passion for the job inspiring in some ways. At some point, I decided to do it for my own rasons, regardless of whether my parents wanted me to."

"I see," Mako said, "but I can't necessarily do everything your way."

"I don't think so either, Reizei-san," Saro said, "even it it does defeat my hope of you joining the disciplinary committee. But take a look around you. I may not know these girls well, but I can tell that what these girls do is because they want to do it, rather than the fact that their parents made them."

Sodoko reached into her bag.

"I also have a message from Sodoko," Saro said. "After hearing your entire story, I thought that I'd share it with you."

Saro gave Mako an envelope, which Mako tore open, not bothering with a letter opener. The note was a printout, and Mako immediately noticed the formal salutation and signature.

_Dear Reizei-san,_

_I heard about your grandmother's death and express my deepest condolences. In my time on the disciplinary committee, I've heard of many people- other students, my colleagues and my teachers- report losing loved ones. I, too, know what it feels like to experience a death in the family._

_While your grandmother's death is certainly hard on you, someday soon, you're going to have to get back to work. Your teammates are, to various degrees, counting on you, like I did last year. Perhaps you can't help your grandmother any longer, but you can help people now, and that might be what she would have wanted. In any case, you never hid behind excuses, so I don't think that you would start now, even considering the circumstances._

_So don't disappoint me, Reizei-san. My erasing your tardies was a reward for your service, and recognizing your potential as a student. You might not always be able to get up on time in the morning, but once you're at school, you're an exceptional student and tanker. This is why I believed you deserved to go up a year and graduate with your age group. And this is why I believe that you'll be able to recover from this loss._

_Sincerely,_

_Sono Midoriko_

Between the "Sincerely," and Sodoko's full name in Kanji, the letter bore Sodoko's signature.

Mako softly chuckled.

"Sodoko hasn't changed," she said. "But she is right."

Mako turned to look at the others.

"Grandma did say, a few times in the past, and as the last thing she ever said to me, that I didn't need someone watching me to be able to do well," Mako said. "Perhaps it's easier said than done, but from now on, I'll strive to do things because they're worth doing, rather than as a way of atoning for the past."

"That's a good mindset, Reizei-san," Saro said. "Before you go about doing something, you have to know why you want to do it."

Miho nodded. Mako's resolve to find her own way of living reminded her of her own quest to find a way of tankery that she could call her own. It had been a long and difficult pocess, but it was one that she had to undergo to keep doing tankery. To allow Miho the freedom to make this choice, Maho had sacrificed her own. And because of that, Miho believed that was what Hisako would have wanted.

"It may not be easy to come to an understanding of exactly what goal you want to accomplish or why," Miho said. "But I ultimately think that it's something that only you can come up with."

"I know," Mako said, tearing up a moment. "But... at the same time, I still miss Grandma."

"You most likely _always_ will, Mako," Myeonghwa said, "because she was someone important to you. Moving on does not mean forgetting her."

Mako smiled and nodded, wiping her tars away.

"Thank you all for listening and for your advice," Mako said. "So I hope that you're willing to listen a bit longer, and receive some advice."

"Go on," Saro said.

"Some of you may have unresolved issues with your family," Mako said. "I won't ask what they are, but I will give you a pice of advice. Don't let your problems go unresolved; you don't know when it'll be too late any more than I did."

The others nodded in agreement. But as they departed, Mako motioned for Miho to stay behind. Miho stopped, and after seeing the others file out, turned to Mako.

"Would you like to talk to me about something, Mako-san?" Miho said.

"I do, Miho," Mako said, "and it's a bit of advice particular to you."

"I'm listening," Miho said.

"I meant what said about not letting your problems go unresolved," Mako said. "But I'd like you to know, Miho, that I understand that your problems are more complicated than most people's, and won't be solved immediately."

"I know," Miho said. "I'm going to visit home when we go into port next weekend, and I'll let you know what happens while I'm there."

"I see," Mako said. "Well, I hope things go well, in that case. I'd go with you, but I have some business to take care of, and it doesn't seem to be the most.. hospitable."

Miho nodded. Even after she made friends when she was younger, she had almost never had them come over. She realized that her friends had not met her mother, but were forming unfavorable preconceptions about her. Miho found that unfortunate, as while she realized her mother was far from an ideal parent in their eyes, and not a very easy person to get along with, she still had a certain degree of love for Shiho as her mother. Perhaps Miho's hope for all of those she valued to get along with each other was unrealistic in this situation, but she hoped her friends would understand her view on her family.

A part of Mako envied Miho, not for her family still being alive in spite of her father's accident, but for her ability to recognize and appreciate her family. Even though Miho's mother's standards went past what were reasonable expectations for one's child, Miho still regarded her as her mother.

Mako could not help but wonder. What would have happened if she had been born in the Nishizumi family? What would have happened if Miho had been born in the Reizei family? How would their lives have differed? How would they have turned out in the end?

Mako soon put those thoughts out of her head. She had learned long ago that it did little good to dwell on what might have been. What was done was done, and rather than spend the life regretting her mistakes, she would learn from them so that she could do what was right in the future.

Her advice to her friends was her first decision in that line, and she hoped that they would be able to resolve their own problems.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Somewhat similar to Interlude 8, this is a case in which a character tells about her past to come to an understanding about her present.

I tried to avoid having too much overlap with my Mako-centric fic, "At My Own Pace: The Autobiography of Reizei Mako," (essentially telling Mako's backstory and actions in the anime from her perspective) even if some of the events were similar, as a result of being inspired by my interpretation of Mako's past.

**Character Analysis: Mako Reizei**

There are two things that can drive a lazy individual like Mako to work hard and excel. The first is the threat of punishment. The second is a higher purpose. Mako's grandmother provided a great deal of both, as Mako feared her temper, but also loved her, and wanted to become an adult who could care for her.

But now Mako's grandmother is dead, and, for a time, Mako is left wondering how and why she should proceed, partly due to grief and partly due to a loss of direction. It was finding this direction that helped her find her way after her parents direction, but where will she go now?

Over the years, Mako, has made quite a few friends in spite of being antisocial, some of whom share her experiences, and some of whom do not. She may no longer be able to help her grandmother, but she can help her friends, and they have one last tournament match together while in high school.

The wounds on Mako's heart caused by the loss of her family may never fully heal, but as long as Mako keeps the lessons she's learned in mind, they will not prevent her from doing what she knows she must, or accomplishing what she wants to. And while she will always be tempted to hit the snooze button in the morning, the knowledge that there are things worth trying hard for, and the belief that what she is doing is worthwhile will ultimately get her out of bed on time.


	30. Bound By Blood, Love and Circumstances

**Chapter 22: Bound by Blood, Love and Circumstances  
**

In the days and weeks to come, some of the students of Oarai, their friends and their rivals, had a chance to see and talk with their families. This was also a chance for them to follow the advice they had heard from Mako, or advice that she had passed along the grapevine.

* * *

Shiina, settling into her room one evening after tankery practice, got a call from her mother. After their greetings and a short conversation, Shiina's mother asked about school.

"How has work on the student council and tankery team been going?" Shiina's mother said. "Have you been doing well at both?"

"Very well, Mom," Shiina said. "We recently won the semifinals in tankery, and things are as usual in the student council. The president runs a tight ship, so she's naturally on top of everything. Some people, such as a few of the second- and third-year class reps, find her overly strict, but I think they're more used to the Kadotani administration."

"That's good to hear," Shiina's mother said. "I'm honestly still not fond of tankery, but if you're taking it seriously and doing well, I can at least respect that."

"Well, I'm not the only one, Mom," Shiina said. "Some of my friends and fellow gamers were encouraged to get out and meet people in real life after joining the club. They've gotten a lot better at tankery and socializing over the course of the last year."

"I see, and I believe you've changed as well, Shiina," Shiina's mother said. "You were never this enthusiastic about the shogi club, so it's nice to see you working hard and committing yourself to not one but two clubs."

"Part of the reason is that getting involved in tankery and the student council are choices that I made on my own, Mom," Shiina said. "I couldn't do much to buoy the spirits of my old clubmates when I wasn't particularly interested it in myself."

"What else is there?" Shiina's mother said.

"I think you're part of the reason, too, Mom," Shiina said. "I'd like to thank you for keeping me motivated and encouraging myself to push myself harder and try new things."

"You're welcome, Shiina, but I really don't think it's any different from what most parents invested in their kids' success do," Shiina's mother said. "In the end, what's most important is that you find something that you're good at and that you enjoy doing. With that in mind, I no longer see why it's a bad thing for you to be doing tankery."

"Thanks, Mom," Shiina said.

"I'll let you go for now," Shiina's mother said. "Please do tell your friend Mikado-san that I would like to meet her someday."

"I will," Shiina said. "Bye, Mom."

As Shiina hung up, she was a bit surprised to hear her mother call Shizuru a friend. They had a professional relationship, and Shiina respected Shizuru, but she also felt a sense of camaraderie with her.

Shiina's thoughts turned back to how her mother's thoughts on tankery were gradually shifting from reluctant tolerance to genuine acceptance. Either was fine for Shiina's purposes, but she hoped her mother would wholeheartedly support her.

Still, current state of affairs was acceptable for Shiina, especially in light of what she had heard from Mako. Shiina recalled how she had done what her mother asked of her and met her standards to avoid conflict with her, and had largely succeeded. A chill went through Shiina when she realized that an argument with her mother might not only be unpleasant for all concerned, but might just end up being their last conversation, as it was for Mako and her mother. Shiina had every reason to think herself fortunate, at least compared to some of her friends.

She couldn't help but think of another person she knew who was dealing with her family's expectations, and wished her the best of luck.

* * *

At Saro's house, her side of the family was having Sumire's side of the family over for dinner. Sumire had a day off of class and tankery practice. Upon hearing this, Sumire's mother, Hirose Sayuri, sighed with relief and said they were in luck, muttering that the dinner might otherwise have been scheduled at an inopportune time because "_that woman_ has no knowledge of or appreciation for tankery."

Sumire wished she could say that her mother was blowing things out of proportion, but Saro called her to inform her that her mother, Hirose Sachiko, "that woman" in question, only asked if the dinner would conflict with her work on the morals committee, and was not concerned about tankery. So while the two cousins looked forward to meeting again they were also concerned.

"It's good to see you again, Nii-san, Sayuri-nee-san," Satomi's father, Satoru said, as his older brother and sister-in-law hung up their coats and took off their shoes.

"Likewise, Satoru," Sumire's father, Soichiro, said.

Sachiko and Sayuri looked at each other, sizing the other up in order to determine how to proceed. After an awkward and slightly tense moment, they exchanged bows and greeted each other by name with the "san" honorific.

Sachiko and Sayuri had their differences, to put it mildly, and would likely never have met if not for their husbands being brothers. And it was for the sake of their respective husbands that they tried to get along, even if many of their encounters involved a great deal of passive aggression. Sumire once described their putting up with each other as a bit like eating one's vegetables.

"Hi, Sumire," Saro said. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Same here, Satomi," Sumire said. "It has been a while since my parents and I have been over to your house."

"Not long enough for my mother," Satomi said.

Sumire let off a sigh that essentially said "I was afraid of that," before nodding.

The two sides of the family sat down in the living room, with Satomi's side of the family on one side and Sumire's side on the other. There almost seemed to be an invisible battle line between them, as if they were two armies standing before each other, waiting for negotiations to break down.

"So, Satomi, how has tankery been going for you?" Sayuri asked her niece after a few minutes of conversation.

"Quite well, Aunt Sayuri," Saro said. "We recently had a match with Rinkai. Commanding the flag tank, I was able to keep my team in the game long enough to win.."

"That's quite impressive," Sayuri said. "I'm sure your mother knows enough about tankery to understand at least this much."

"I am not completely ignorant about tankery, Sayuri-san," Sachiko said. "It may be a game, but I know enough about it to not conclude that it's anything less than what it is."

The exchange was all too familiar to Saro. In most of their meetings, the two women were like two duelists, expressing a degree of obligatory politeness to one another, but waiting for the signal to begin fighting- in their case, one that one of the two of them made.

_"I really don't know who's worse- Aunt Sayuri for baiting Mom, or Mom for taking the bait- and I don't care," _Saro thought. As she looked across the table to see her cousin rolling her eyes, and her uncle trying not to make eye contact with her mother, Saro realized that she was not alone in her beliefs.

"You would call it a game, Sachiko-san?" Sayuri said. "A term used by those to denigrate something as a waste of time. Apparently, living vicariously through your daughter in her position as head of the disciplinary committee is acceptable, but letting her do tankery on the side is not."

"Don't change the subject," Sachiko said. "You put pressure on your own daughter to do tankery, so I'm fairly sure you 'encouraged' Satomi to do tanke..."

"Actually, Mom, that was something I decided on my own," Satomi said, interrupting her mother. "I've been interested ever since Sumire first told me about doing it. The part about it being part of my duties was just an excuse."

For a moment Sumire's generally expressionless facade broke. But going with the flow, she responded to back up her cousin.

"That's true," Sumire said. "Mom essentially never talked about it with Satomi. And as for me, I essentially just told her about what I was doing in the tankery club when Satomi asked how school was going for me. I certainly didnt' expect her to take it up, but I'm glad that she did. She and I can talk about it more now, and it's helped us grow closer as cousins."

"So what now, Satomi?" Sachiko said. "Are you just going to quit the disciplinary committee, after spending so long in it and becoming its leader? Didn't you find it a beneficial experience? Wasn't it important to you?"

Satomi paused to consider her answer. Her mother seemed unusually desperate, not to gain a point over her rival, but to ensure that her daughter did not give up something valuable to her and in so doing, make a decision she regretted. Perhaps Satomi thought this because she wanted to, but she believed that her mother was honest, and so chose to respond in kind.

"Perhaps I might have if this had happened two years ago," Satomi said. "But over time, my work in the disciplinary committee grew on me, and I began to take it more seriously. I believe it's also something worth doing because it's a good cause, not because your parents tell you to do so, and I feel the same way about tankery."

Sachiko let off a sigh. Perhaps etiquette would dictate an apology now, but as unpleasant as she found it, she knew that it was the right course of action.

"I'm sorry, Sayuri-san," Sachiko said. "I was wrong to assume that you had put pressure on Satomi."

"I must apologize as well, Sachiko-san," Sayuri said. "I, too, have unfairly ascribed motives to you.

After the two women stood up and bowed to each other in apology, the conversation ground to a halt, with everyone having exhausted what they had to say, and no one yet sure of a good diversionary subject.

Sumire and Saro let off sighs of relief, even if neither believed they had won anything more than a cease-fire in the conflict between their mothers. Their fathers had also been able to get their wives to apologize to each other, but had never been able to resolve things. But Satomi's admission had cleared up a misunderstanding, and she believed that perhaps they would make truly significant progress.

* * *

Shortly before dinner, Sumire and Satomi privately met in Saro's room. In private discussions like these, the cousins felt free to share their thoughts about their family, and Sumire chose to go first.

"I wasn't expecting you to admit to what you did just now, Satomi," Sumire said, "nor was I expecting either of our moms to apologize."

"Well, it's the simple truth," Saro said. "I wanted them to understand that I was doing tankery on my own, for my own reasons. It wasn't an easy admission to make, but I felt this issue had gone on long enough without them understanding that."

"I agree," Sumire said. "For all my time together with Teru in high school, I held the fear that Saki would eventually give up on reconciling with her sister, and that the once close relationship they had would become nothing more than a memory."

"Saki told me that once," Saro said. "The thought of them parting on bad terms and never reuniting was quite depressing, which is why I was glad to hear that they've patched things up."

"So am I," Sumire said. "Of course, while it has taken them a while to start talking again it will take longer still to get anywhere close to the way they were before. As you can imagine, it will be even more difficult for our mothers, who never had anything in common, to be able to interact on truly amicable terms, since your doing tankery was never the only point of contention between them."

"I wouldn't rule out the possibility just yet, Sumire," Saro said. "At the very least, I'm grateful that both of them are still around, and neither has done anything that they cannot take back."

Sumire nodded. She knew hindsight was 20/20, and that the possibility of Saki and Teru reconciling had seemed remote at best. But it had happened anyway, so perhaps there was hope for her mother and aunt.

* * *

Hana and her mother were at a flower exhibition in Oarai, wearing matching kimonos. Hana had said hello to her friends from Anglerfish Team, as well as Natsumi and Shiina, but they had decided to go home after seeing her work and giving a show of support.

That was as much as Hana could hope for from her friends regarding flower arrangement, something in which they had little knowledge or interest, and it was all she wanted. The same could be said of her mother regarding tankery, even after Yuri's change of heart about it.

"I must say, you look quite nice, Hana-san," Yuri said.

"Thank you, Mother," Hana said. "It is not often that I get the occasion to wear a kimono."

Yuri nodded. She was well aware of how many people saw her adherence to tradition as outdated, and while she was reluctant to change, she also acknowledged that she had to adjust for the times.

In the last few months, she attended a seminar on how to best take advantage of the internet for publicity and other such features, hoping to broaden the Isuzu school's online presence. Since the event required business attire, Yuri wore a navy blue skirt suit with black pantyhose, a white dress shirt and light blue necktie to the event. With Shinzaburou's help, Yuri e-mailed a photo of herself to Hana, who was surprised to see her mother in more modern clothing, but thought she looked quite nice.

Yuri realized that she was starting to look to influences outside of her school for flower arranging. Perhaps it was not so strange that Hana was viewing tankery as a means of revitalizing her own flower arranging.

"It seems your flower arranging continues to improve," Yuri said. "I am glad that you have chosen to do tankery, even if there are still many things I do not understand about it."

"I believe so, too," Hana said, "although I may eventually stop doing tankery."

Yuri's face turned slightly pale, as she wondered what could drive Hana to give up something she enjoyed when she had been determined to do tankery before.

"I...Is it because of me, Hana-san?" Yuri said. "I was overly harsh with you before, but now, I hope you do not end up leaving tankery on my account."

Hana shook her head. Her mother had a tendency to worry, as before she had left for middle school, her mother had lost sleep worrying about the various things that might happen to Hana at middle school, even if she had never expected Hana to get involved with tankery. Indeed, Hana had not had any interest in tankery back then, being completely satisfied with her flower arranging, but how would things change?

"No, that is not it, Mother," Hana said. "Miho-san told me that there are people with varying degrees of interest in tankery. There are women who become professional tankers, but also women who join the JSDF, work outside of the home, become housewives, and other such things. Tankery is more than about the skills necessary to run a tank; it's about discipline, teamwork and determination, which serve you well in all walks of life."

Yuri nodded. She recalled the cover of a book on tankery she had bought after her reconciliation with Hana, called "Tankery: One Road, Many Destinations."

The cover illustration had featured a few women standing around a tank- one was wearing a business suit and holding a briefcase, another was wearing a JGSDF dress uniform and saluting, a third was wearing the uniform for Japan's national tankery team, and a fourth was wearing a dress and holding a child. The woman in the tankery team uniform was holding a framed picture of the four women while they were still in high school, and all of them were wearing the same uniform.

"Ah, yes," Yuri said. "When I was in high school, I took archery, as flower arranging was not a recognized elective at the time, and was not officially designated as one until after I graduated. The practice was good for me, and I made some friends among my teammates, but I wished flower arranging had been afforded equal recognition."

"Not everyone recognizes tankery," Hana said. "There are those who do not regard tankery as a 'legitimate' martial art due to not being as old as the others. And there are those who regard it as out of date. Miho-san told me that tankery will somehow have to gain respect while staying fresh in order to endure the test of time."

Yuri nodded, and glanced around at the sparse crowd at the exhibit, which had passed its peak attendance. She could see a group of no more than twenty people, generally wearing suits and kimonos. Oarai's flower arranging exhibits drew enough people to keep being held year after year, but they were a niche event at best. But while Yuri was not entirely happy with the number of people who were coming, she was happy with the kind of people who came. If popularity caused events like these to lose their heart and soul, then it was clearly not something they needed.

"But at the same time, should its practitioners not be certain that it remains true to itself?" Yuri said. "Even if it changes over the years, is there not some part that should always remain the same?"

"Yes, Mother," Hana said. "But... was that what you were concerned about when I took tankery? That I would no longer be a 'true' Isuzu flower arranger?"

After her surprise at being asked the question faded, Yuri sighed, realizing Hana would be disappointed with her answer.

"To be honest, Hana-san, when I... told you to not to come home, I wasn't thinking of my duty to the Isuzu School, or my responsibility to you as your mother," Yuri said. "I was simply angry that you'd chosen to do something like tankey, and, on a simpler level, that you'd gone against what I'd hoped you would do while away from home. In my anger, I made a decision that I regretted. Please forgive me."

Yuri bowed deeply in apology. Hana had heard her apologize for casting her out before, but this was the first time Yuri had ever openly discussed why she had done it.

Hana simply nodded. Her feelings about this were the same as they were on the day she had reconciled with her mother in the previous year's exhibit, and even when she was cast out in the first place.

"I have forgiven you, Mother," Hana said. "To be honest, part of the blame is mine. How could you have known I was discontent with flower arranging, or that I would have chosen tankey if I never said anything about it before?"

Yuri smiled, first appreciatively of her daughter's forgiveness, then an intrigued smile at her daughter's question. Hana raised an interesting point, but Yuri saw only one real answer.

"I asked Shinzaburou that question once," Yuri said. "He responded by asking me what I would have told you, and I could not answer with any certainty, because we had never discussed anything like that before. But I believe that should chang. From now on, my daughter, you should feel free to talk to me about anything that is concerning you; difficult subjects are no longer taboo."

"Thank you, Mother," Hana said.

"But, if I may ask, Hana-san, what brought this on?" Yuri said. "You do seem to have something on your mind."

"I was thinking about what Mako-san told me once," Hana said. "She said that because she parted with her parents on bad terms, she didn't want the same thing to happen to me. And now... she and her grandmother will never have the chance to speak again."

"I know," Yuri said. "Please send my condolences to Reizei-san."

As Hana and her mother returned to focusing on the exhibit, Hana pondered what Mako had told her. She realized that it was possible that her attempts could have ended in failure, as her appeals to her mother fell on deaf ears. She was thus glad that she had tried, and appreciated that the outcome had been successful.

* * *

Saki and Teru's parents spoke over the phone one evening. The conversations were relatively infrequent, and mainly about their children. While each still had custody of one daughter, they both still cared for the other one, and hoped to check in on the other from time to time. Kai and Keiko's differences had proven irreconciliable, but during these conversations, they could be civil and even amicable toward each other, since they were largely based around what they had in common, rather than their disagreements.

"How's Teru doing, Kai?" Keiko said. "I heard from her that she came by your place some time ago."

Kai subtly nodded. It was longer ago than Keiko's tone suggested, but it was since the last time they had talked.

"She was mainly there to visit Mizuho's grave and spend some time with Saki," Kai said. "Even if she reconnected with Saki, she and I had our differences even before the family split apart. It may be more difficult to mend my ties with her."

"Saki would be sad to hear this," Keiko said, "especially since she keeps in touch with me. Our divorce was hardly the outcome she had hoped for."

"I know," Kai said, "although I do think it's better this way. Still, I hope neither Saki nor Teru end up giving up on tankery, even if I never was wholeheartedly enthusiastic about her doing it."

Keiko sighed

"I think I knew all along, even if I didn't acknowledge it, that Teru was doing tankery for her own reasons," Keiko said. "Teru did say that when she, in her Maus, faced Saki and the rest of her teammates, she had a purpose to be there, as did Saki. I only hope Teru rediscovers that purpose."

"So do I," Kai said.

The former couple said their goodbyes and hung up. The conversations they had since their divorce had always been awkward to some degree, but they were also able to openly discuss issues that they had not confronted until their marriage had gone downhill. Perhaps if they had been more open with each other, things would have gone differently- perhaps the marriage would have been saved, or it may never have happened in the first place.

But Teru had once told her mother that she had spent too long regretting the past and thinking of what might have been, and Keiko shared it with her ex-husband. She did not know much about what role tankery would play in her future, but was determined to find it herself and move forward from the tragedy, just like Saki had. The Miyanaga family was irreversibly broken, but perhaps that feeling would enable them to bring about a better future for all of them.

* * *

At the Haramura family house, Kei and Reiko had dinner with Nodoka, who had managed to get Saki invited over.

"So, Nodoka, I have a question," Reiko said. "Is it true that some of the teams are other clubs moonlighting in tankery?"

"Yes, Mother, to an extent," Nodoka said. "Duck Team and Sparrow Team are defunct clubs trying to re-establish themselves. The Auto Club is participating with Leopon Team, as an offshoot of its supporting us as our vehicle repair crew. Some of the Discipline Committee members and Student Council also participate.

"I see," Reiko said. "The higher-ups in your student government seem surprisingly involved in this. I wonder if people will see a conflict of interest should they give more support to the tankery team."

"It's a matter of our school's image, Mother," Nodoka said, "so their interests align with those of the school. When we were about to be closed last year, we had to find a reason why our school had value compared to others. It's like making a case in court, and finding the evidence that we need."

Kei nodded. He recalled how his firm had urged its lawyers to be mindful of the image they presented, and how one employee had been dismissed after a somewhat noticeable incident that reflected badly on the firm.

"When you describe it in those terms, Nodoka, I can understand it well," Kei said. "I need the trust of my client to do well, and enough evidence to convince those responsible for the verdict to rule in my favor. Evidence and good arguments are needed for the latter. The road ahead of your school may be difficult with what you have."

"Perhaps, Father," Nodoka said. "But Oarai is more than its arsenal of tanks. We have people who will support the team, among them, Saki, who always sees a glimmer of hope and never gives up on the things that matter to her. She's not only a great asset to our team, but she's inspired me to do the same."

"I'm glad to hear this, Nodoka," Reiko said, before turning to Saki. "Thank you for taking care of our daughter, Miyanaga-san."

"You're welcome, ma'am," Saki said. "But I will say that Nodoka-chan has also inspired me to both take tankery seriously and have fun while doing so. That's why, even if I accomplished my goal of reconciling with my sister, I still enjoy doing it with her and the rest of my friends."

Kei nodded and pondered what had been said so far. He felt as though he understood why his daughter had stuck with tankery so long, why she enjoyed it so much. He knew that success over a long period of time required a great deal of effort from many people, and could not predict the future, but was hopeful that Oarai would be able to manage it.

* * *

At the Sawamura apartment, Tomoki had Jun and Hajime over for dinner. The three girls and one adult woman sat around the small table in the apartment.

"I'm glad you could come, Kunihiro-san, Inoue-san," Tomoki's mother said. "And I'm sorry that Ryuumonbuchi-san and Amae-san couldn't make it. I was hoping to meet the latter."

"Touka said her dad had other plans, Sawamura-san," Hajime said, "specifically, that he wanted her and Koromo to eat with him tonight."

Touka's father was often busy with his work, and saw relatively little of his daughter and niece, and this only seemed to get worse after his wife's death. Whenever people suggested that Touka benefited from her father's influence, she sardonically asked if he was aware that she was going to his school.

"That can sometimes happen," Tomoki's mother said. "My husband's work is keeping him late tonight, so it was nice to have people to have dinner with besides Tomoki."

"Yeah, being able to have happy family meals together is something a lot of people don't appreciate nearly enough," Jun said, "which is why I hope things are going well with Touka, her dad and Koromo."

* * *

At the Ryuumonbuchi manor in Koala Forest's home port, Touka, along with her cousin and father, ate at a small yet nicely set table that the Ryuumonbuchi family ate at when not having company. Touka and Koromo wore white dresses that, while tasteful, were not the sort they would wear while dressing up, while Touka's father wore a blue suit, the kind he tended to wear to work.

"So, Touka," Touka's father said, "how is the team doing in the post-season practice?"

"Very well, Father," Touka said. "We are working to improve our perfomance, and are speaking with Saunders College High regarding the possibility of an exhibition match after the tournament ends."

"That's good to hear," Touka's father said.

_"Father could simply ask the coach to report to him," _Touka thought. _"So why would he ask me? And why would he have Koromo eat with us as well, unless..."_

Touka wondered if her train of thought was going to somewhere too optimistic for her liking, going off the tracks and into the realm of fantasy. But another part of her wondered if maybe her more cynical side was wrong this time- or perhaps missing the point entirely.

Koromo had come to realize, in hindsight, that it all should have seemed so simple. How many cousins would go as far for her as Touka had? The difference between her perspective before and after the match was the difference between choosing a more pessimistic view and a more optimistic view. And it so happened that before, she was wrong, but now, she was right.

Touka, glancing over at Koromo, acknowledged that she could not read her cousin's mind, but noticed that she seemed happier than before, and that was what mattered. The Ryuumonbuchi mansion and even her room off in an isolated part of the house seemed more like home to her.

Touka smiled. They had one more year together as a team, one more chance for Koala Forest to rise to the championship, and more time for Koromo to spend with her new friends.

* * *

Elsewhere, back in her apartment at Rinkai, Myeongwha talked with her mother over the phone.

"(I have some bad news, Myeonghwa)," Professor Choe said in Korean. "(My talk has been pushed back, so I can no longer come on the day of the finals)."

"(It's alright, Mom)," Myeonghwa said, "(considering we aren't proceeding to the finals after all)."

"(Again, I'm sorry to hear that,)" Professor Choe said. "(I had considered the possibility of your school losing to Oarai, but hoped you would prevail.)"

"(Still, the rest of the team is in high spirits,)" Myeonghwa said. "(We did prove ourselves in this tournament, and two of the more exciting matches are ahead. The finals determine the championship, but the other semifinals match will determine whether Black Forest gets another shot at resuming its win streak.)"

"(Ah, yes,)" Professor Choe said. "(Given that you and your teammates from France ended a five-year winning streak by Hammer and Sickle High School, it makes sense that you want to level the playing field)."

"(I'll be trying again next year, too,)" Myeonghwa said. "(Some of my friends will be gone, but others are ready for another chance.)"

"(That's good to hear,)" Professor Choe said.

Myeonghwa checked the time on her cell phone, and noticed that it was getting late. Since Professor Choe kept a clock showing the time where her daughter lived, she also was aware of this, and so chose to draw the conversation to a close.

"(I'll let you know for now, Myeonghwa)," Professor Choe said. "(Just remember- I'm proud of you and what you've accomplished)"

"(Thank you, Mom,)" Myeonghwa said, before saying goodbye and hanging up.

Bed time came; what for her mother was the early morning was nearing the end of the day for Myeonghwa. Myeonghwa thus brushed her teeth, put on her nightgown, and said her prayers.

_"Lord, my friend Mako hopes that her friends and their friends will love and cherish those close to them, and so do I,"_ Myeonghwa prayed. _"Please help them understand it before they lose what is dear to them."_

* * *

At the Nishizumi family home, Miho sat before her mother. Much to Miho's disappointment, Shiho had no significant news about Homura's condition, and mainly talked about the battle with Rinkai, giving her advice that would only apply to the Nishizumi style. Miho listened, out of politeness and to see if there was anything useful, but she knew long ago she had come to the realization that she could not do things her mother's way.

"In the end, I'd like to congratulate you on winning against Rinkai, Miho," Shiho said. "But as I said earlier, I had hoped that Erika, the representative of our family's style, would be the ones to fight the newcomers from Rinkai."

"Is this related to the Nishizumi School's need to prove itself, Mother?" Miho said. Miho was fully aware that the Nishizumi school could use how it was doing at the moment to justify pushing themselves further. If they were doing well at the moment, they needed to redouble their efforts to stay that way. And if they had run into a difficult period, it was clearly a wake-up call to improve themselves. Clearly, they were in the latter, but would it be a simple task to renew their winning streak?

"In part, yes," Shiho said. "It would be a way for the Nishizumis to stand up against foes from other countries. And it would be a high-profile success, to offset recent failures."

"I know, Mother," Miho said. "But Oarai is also striving to prove itself, to show they have a tankery team to be proud of and that they can achieve consistent success."

"I can understand that much," Shiho said. "And in the end, if any other team brought down Rinkai, I'm glad that yours was the one to do it."

Miho smiled. Congratulating someone was a small gesture, often done merely out of politeness, but it was a significant one from her mother, so Miho was grateful for it.

"Thank you, Mother," Miho said.

* * *

Miho met with Maho on the porch outside the living room, where she could talk away from her mother's ears. The night air was cool, but not yet cold enough for them to stay in.

Maho listened to what Miho had discussed with their mother, simply nodding until Miho finished telling her everything.

"I suppose I understand Mother's perspective as head of the Nishizumi school," Maho said. "But as your sister, Miho, I'd like to congratulate you on winning again."

Miho smiled appreciatively.

"Thank you, Onee-chan," Miho said. "How are things at your school and tankery team?"

"Largely the same as usual, Miho," Maho said. "I have been living up to Mother's expectations and defeating whichever opponents come my way. Most of the pressure comes from her, however; while my university has the best tankery team in the national university level, it's not as dominant as Black Forest was."

Miho noticed Maho emphasizing the past tense.

"Is this pressure coming because of me?" Miho said, her voice quavering.

"That's not it at all, Miho," Maho said decisively. "Mother seems to be aware that the Nishizumi school's problems cannot solely be laid at your feet, which is why she chose not to disown you. She realizes that even if we disassociate ourselves from you, it won't make our problems go away."

"But what _will_ solve the school's problems?" Miho said.

"To be honest, I don't know yet," Maho said. "Maybe winning all the time isn't the solution, or maybe the Nishizumi school needs to rethink its own identity. But for the moment, I'm expected to continue winning, to show that the Nishizumi school is still a force to be reckoned with."

"I understand," Miho said. "But it still seems like you have a rather large task ahead of yourself."

"No more than it usually is," Maho said. "In any case, it's a simple matter of defeating whichever opponents come my way, just like I always have beene expected to do so."

"And that's probably Hiroe-san next, right?" Miho said.

"She easily won in the semifinals," Maho said. "Her school's not as strong as mine is, but she has a fair amount going for her."

"Such as?" Miho said.

"For one, she's doing what she does for her own sake," Maho said. "Her mother's ideals are also her own, so she's naturally true to herself. And even if it goes to her head at times, she's confident and decisive. Back when I faced you in the finals, I tried my best, but couldn't perform at my absolute best, because I was fighting against what I wanted to happen. Hiroe has no such doubt, so she fights without holding back."

"Even when it comes to defeating you?" Miho said. She recalled that Hiroe had once said that she had never hated or even disliked Maho, despite her efforts to defeat her.

"For what it's worth, Hiroe understands what I'm doing," Maho said, "which is why she doesn't hold it against me or think I'm a hypocrite. In fact, she's expecting me to put up a good fight, since she loves going up against challenging opponents." Maho smiled slightly. "I'll try not to disappoint her."

* * *

At the Atago family home, Masae had her entire family- her husband, her daughters, her mother, her sister, her brother-in-law and her niece- over for dinner.

Before dinner, Kinue and Masaki sat in the living room. Kinue had called Masaki aside to speak with her aunt privately.

"Aunt Masaki, I have a question about tankery," Kinue said.

"I'll do my best to answer it, Kinue," Masaki said, "but if you're looking for tankery-related advice, I'd suggest either of our sisters or Hiroko. In our generation, your mother was the one who truly excelled, while I was mainly along for the ride."

"Actually, _that's_ why I wanted to speak with you, Aunt Masaki," Kinue said. "I'm wondering what it was like to be in my mom's shadow, to live up to the accomplishments of someone who nearly defeated Black Forest."

Masaki nodded. She had done her best while in tankery, but was dispassionate enough about it that she did not mind people pointing out that she was not doing it as seriously as her older sister had. Because of that, she knew where her niece was coming from, and believed that she would be best suited to answer.

"I see your point," Masaki said. "For me, I saw it as a matter of duty to do my best in whatever position I am assigned. If the team had a job for me, I did it to the best of my ability. If the team did not, I accepted it gracefully, while doing whatever I could to be of use to them. This wasn't good enough for Black Forest, which is one reason why I had no regrets about leaving when circumstances forced your mother and I to switch schools."

"I know," Kinue said, having head the story. "I don't think I could have made the cut there, either, so I've always been glad I went to Pravda."

Masaki nodded in agreement.

"I also fit in better at Pravda, but my aspirations were significantly more humble than most people's," Masaki said. "A few of my teammates were a bit surprised to hear that I didn't plan to do anything tankery related, probably influenced by hearing about your mother's exploits on the university circuit."

Kinue nodded. She had long considered becoming a teacher, but had only recently considered the possibility of becoming a tankery teacher, believing that she was not enough of an expert to guide others.

"I know what it's like to look up to your sister and feel inadequate by comparison," Kinue said. "Of course, this is purely about what _I_ want to do, so that's not necessarily useful."

Masaki nodded. High school was when her and her sister's paths had diverged; one became a relatively famous tanker and teacher, while the other became a humble homemaker. Tankery was the last pursuit they were involved in together, and it was obvious even then that they were both doing it for different reasons. But Masae had once told Masaki that this difference of purpose was not a bad thing, and Masaki agreed wholeheartedly.

"Still, when all's said and done, tankery was fun while it lasted," Masaki said. "I couldn't go on any longer, but I didn't regret the time I spent doing it, since it was my choice. I did my best and took it seriously; I may not have won the tournament, but I have no regrets about it."

"It's just like my playing soccer, then," Kinue said. "I couldn't do it forever, or as seriously as some of the people in middle school, but it had its value."

"When I think about it, everyone else is the same," Masaki said. "Your mother did not establish a school to force her descendants to carry on her work, but to make a difference. Your sister chose to take up that responsibility herself. Hiroko chose to do tankery alongside your sister. You, too, have a choice, just as you have participated in tankery by choice thus far, and it's ultimately up to you how you choose to win in the end."

Kinue nodded. In the end, some of her teammates- albeit a small portion- had served under her sister, but in the end, they would be looking to her for their orders. She thus realized least she could do for them was believe in herself, and while her aunt had not done tankery in over two decades, she had helped her realize an important truth.

"Thank you, Aunt Masaki," Kinue said. "I may not know what I need to do in order to win, but now that you've helped me put things in perspective, I feel as though I can find the solution."

"You're welcome, Kinue," Masaki said. "Your mother has helped Hiroko out many times, so the least I can do is help her children."

Kinue pondered the task ahead of her. Some of the people she had looked up to had defeated Black Forest, while others had fallen short. But while her opponent was Black Forest, it was not necessarily the same as it had been in the past. It seemed more vulnerable somehow, whether because of its performance this year or its defeats the past two years, so winning was not necessarily out of the question.

Perhaps the answer was up to her, one that would be the sum of all her experiences, training and tankery battles up until now. Perhaps the only way to defeat Black Forest and succeed where her mother and sister had failed before was by a method neither had tried.

* * *

A few nights later, at the Akiyama family home, Yukari had her friends over for dinner, having told her mother about it several nights in advance. On Mako's request, relayed through Yukari, they largely decided not to discuss her grandmother, save for a simple expression of condolences from Yukari's parents.

"Please tell me what you think of this recipe, girls, and don't be afraid to be open-minded," Yoshiko said. "It's been a while since I've last cooked for seven people."

"You cooked this quite well, ma'am," Hana said. "Because of that, I'm grateful that you gave me a generous portion."

"I'm glad to hear that, Isuzu-san," Yoshiko said. "Yukari told me that you had quite an appetite."

"I can cut any of your hair if you'd like," Jungorou said, with an eager and almost plaintive grin on his face. The fact that Akiyama barbeshop was struggling for business was an elephant in the room, so to speak, as many people preferred the larger hair salon nearby, or got their hair cut while the ship was in port.

"Thank you for the offer," Hana said. "I will stop by here if I need a haircut, though."

"You know, Yukari, I think I have some idea why you're such a tank maniac," Mako said. "You get that from your dad."

Yukari and Yoshiko chuckled, while Jungorou seemed slightly sheepish.

"That sounds like a good guess, Reizei-san," Yoshko said. "Whenever my husband and daughter get serious about something, they go all out. It seems odd to most people, but that enthusiasm is part of the reason why I fell in love with my husband in the first place."

Miho nodded approvingly.

"Yukari-san's knowledge of tankery has been quite useful," Miho said. "And much of Oarai's success has been because of people who are enthusiastic enough to do whatever we need them to do, going the long odds."

Miho looked around and remembered the first time she had come to the shop, seeing a normal, happy family. In the course of getting to know all her friends, she had met those with troubled relations with their family, like Hana, or who had lost family members, like Mako. But she had also met those who had not suffered that, and could not help but feel happy for them.

"So do you girls have anything going this evening?" Jungorou said. "We were hoping to catch a movie on TV, and it might be nice to do it with Yukari's friends."

"I actually have a meeting with my sister and Erika-san on Skype later," Miho said, "so I'll have to get going after dinner."

The other members of Anglerfish Team's expressions turned concerned, as they recalled that their encounters with Erika had largely not been pleasant, least of all for Miho. But Erika had taken the defeat more gracefully than they expected, so they realized that their guesses were not guaranteed to be right.

"What's it about?" Saori said.

"She wanted to talk about her upcoming match with Pravda," Miho said. "Apparently, it's a big match for the Nishizumi school and Black Forest, more so than most semifinals matches usually are."

"So she's feeling nervous?" Yukari said. "That's unexpected, given how... confident in her abilities she seemed when we first met."

"Losing is something of a new thing to Black Forest," Miho said. "They no longer have the same belief in their invincibility that they once had, so they have to redouble their efforts."

"Is that really a bad thing?" Mako said. "If it knocked her down a peg, then that's all the more reason for me to be happy that we won. And I may not be the best person to say this, but isn't having to try hard for something good for them?"

"Those are good questions, Mako-san," Miho said. "Perhaps when I speak with Erika-san, she will answer them."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

This was another chapter to go into various characters' family issues. Some of them have changed last time, while others have changed over the course of the story. It's often nice to take a look to see how your characters are developing.

The next chapter is the final Interlude, for Erika.

There's also a side story about what certain characters do after they're done with tankery.

Please vote in the OC poll while you can; when the next chapter comes up, I'll ask you what your favorite Interlude was.


	31. Interlude 18: Erika

**Interlude 18: Erika**

Maho started up her laptop in her apartment on her university ship. On Erika's request, she had arranged a meeting over Skype between her, Erika and Miho.

As Maho logged into Skype, she noticed that Erika was already on. Miho had told Maho that she would likely be late, as she was having dinner at Yukari's home with her friends from Anglerfish Team.

Erika soon started the call.

"Hello, Assistant Instructor Nishizumi," Erika said. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes, it's good to see you're here, Erika," Maho said. "I was hoping to talk with you before Miho got on."

"What is it about?" Erika said.

"To begin with, don't you have something to say to Miho?" Maho said. "Specifically, concerning your words and attitude toward her over the course of the past two years?"

Erika, taken off guard, remained silent for a moment, almost long enough to wonder if Erika was still connected.

"Do you want me to apologize to her, Assistant Instructor?" Erika said.

"Only if your apology is sincere, Erika," Maho said. "Miho is perceptive enough to realize when people don't mean what they say. She also knows you well enough to realize that you'll do whatever I tell you to, including apologize to her even if you're not sincerely repentant."

Erika let off a sigh. A part of her wished that Maho had demanded an apology out of her. It would have been simpler to oblige and give a sincere-sounding apology, and simpler to accept such a reaction from Maho.

"I did underestimate Oarai, and I was wrong to blame Miho for our defeat two years ago as much as I did," Erika said. "But it's clear that Miho and I have different approaches to tankery. I make no apologies for following the Nishizumi style, and will not hesitate to prove that it is superior to her style."

Maho simply nodded, having expected this answer.

"Fair enough, Erika," Maho said. "You're not the only one from Black Forest who feels this way."

Within a few minutes, Miho logged on.

"Hello, Onee-chan, Erika-san," Miho said. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"Don't worry about it, Miho," Maho said. "You did tell me in advance that you were meeting with your friends for dinner."

"Assistant Instructor Nishizumi and I were just talking for a little bit," Erika said. "This reminds me; I would like to tell you that I was wrong to dismiss Oarai as an unworthy contender last year, and to scapegoat you for our defeat the year before. "

"Thank you, Erika-san," Miho said. "But, if I may say so, I'm not used to hearing you call my sister the 'assistant instructor' of our family's school."

"That is her job, after all," Erika said. "It's also what I knew her as before she became commander of Black Forest."

"Ah, yes," Miho said. "I wasn't involved with our school much at the time. The students knew that their teacher had two daughters, rather than one, so all of them who knew me by name knew who I was. But I didn't know very many of them, nor did I know much about their perspective on my school save what I could guess."

"Now might be a good time for you to hear it," Erika said, "as a way of explaining some of my decisions now, along with the reason why I'd like to talk with you. To begin with, let's tell about how I got started with the Nishizumi school."

"I recall you saying that you always were a Nishizumi student," Miho said.

"To an extent," Erika said. "I wasn't born a Nishizumi style practitioner- no one, not even the women of the family that runs the school, is. The Nishizumi school gives you a great deal of the skills necessary to succeed at tankery, and makes sure that you remain on task, but once you graduate, it's up to you to find your own motivation."

Miho nodded, remembering all the motivations she and the others close to her had. She sought to lead her friends to victory and enable them to accomplish their goals without leaving behind or sacrificing people. Maho sought to enable Miho to live her life her own way. Kikuyo hoped to repay her mistress, and serve in small and seemingly thankless ways. Ami hoped to devote herself to a higher cause. Takako wanted to train the seemingly hopeless cases while ensuring that they did not give up on themselves.

"So what motivation did you find, Erika-san?" Miho said.

"Initially, none of my own," Erika said. "I wasn't sure why I was here or what kind of tanker I could be. But when i met the Assistant Instructor for the first time, I realized what I could aspire to."

* * *

_8 years ago_

Erika, wearing the Nishizumi School's uniform, waited for Shiho in the opening assembly.

She saw a girl, who seemed no more than a year older than her, walking alongside Shiho. She wore the same uniform as the students, but carried herself with an air of confidence and authority, as though she was closer to her mother than the students.

"Hello, and welcome to the Nishizumi school," Shiho said. "You have worked hard and proven yourselves to get into this school, the most prestigious tankery school in the nation, but your trials have only just begun. In spite of your young age, you have chosen a difficult path, but you will not be granted much leniency, since what I ask of you is well within your ability to fulfill."

Shiho gestured toward the girl Erika had noticed earlier.

"This is my daughter, Nishizumi Maho," Shiho said. "She is one of many assistants in running my school, which she will one day inherit from me."

Gasps of surprise went up from the crowd, before Shiho motioned for silence.

"But while Maho is no older than you are, she is still an ideal Nishizumi," Shiho said. "We do not choose our teachers out of nepotism or sentimentality, but because they uphold our honor and share our values. They are paragons of the Nishizumi style, who serve as an example for others. Study hard, follow their example and make sacrifices, so that you will be able to live up to them."

Shiho's speech concluded, and she began to go about the task of getting everyone started in their classes. While Erika was listening for relevant information, her mind was elsewhere, thinking about what she had just heard.

Even if Erika had leave to speak, she was at a loss for words, surprised at how much someone like Maho could accomplish, as well as the fact that she was expected to live up to her example. But Shiho's arguments were convincing.

Perhaps becoming like Shiho was a distant pipe dream, but she could, as she was now, aspire to become like Maho. If Shiho represented what Nishizumi style practitioners could aspire to in the future, then Maho represented what she could be in the present.

* * *

_Present day_

"It was somewhat humbling, to be honest," Erika said. "I believed I stood above my peers, but then I saw someone who was even better still. Of course, I did, as the Instructor urged, work on getting my way up to her young assistant's level."

Miho was hardly surprised by Erika's account. She knew all about her sister's accomplishments on tankery, as well as the image she projected to the public. There was a time when she, too, idolized Maho, but while she still saw her sister as exceptionally skilled, she no longer wanted to emulate her.

"It wasn't until later that I realized that there was more to the Assistant Instructor than the seemingly flawless tanker that appeared on the surface," Erika said.

"That's true with everyone like me, Erika," Maho said. "All people who are famous or well-respected by the public have a certain persona that they take on that's most conducive for their role. If you have enough practice and skill, you may improve to the point at which maintaining that persona no longer requires conscious effort, but taking it up is almost always a conscious choice, like dressing up or smiling for the camera."

"I know, but unfortunately, I got the sense that whenever I got a glimpse of the real you, it was more due to an accidental oversight than letting me in," Erika said. "I probably know you better than anyone except Teru and your sister, but you confided in them more. I recognize that you have your duties as commander, but a part of me is disappointed that I have not yet earned your trust."

Maho let off a soft sigh. The list of people she confided in had grown over time, including her sister, her maid, and several of her friends. But Erika had known her for a long time, longer than most besides Miho had, yet knew less about her than her closest people did. As Erika was starting to open up and reveal more about herself, so Maho believed it was hardly fair for her not to do the same.

"I'm sorry, Erika," Maho said. "You've admired me all this time, but as person I'm expected to be by Mother and those who are associated with the Nishizumi school, not necessarily the person I am. Knowing this, do you still feel the same way about me that you did before?"

Erika took a moment to consider the facts, and realized that even in this new light, they remained the same. She then nodded before responding.

"I do," Erika said. "Regardless of whether or not you can act as confident and authoritative as a Nishizumi should all the time, you are still the person whom I admire so much, for having accomplished what you have. I just simply wish you'd trust me a little more."

"To be honest, Erika-san," Miho said, "it's not as though knowing my sister's real persona is exclusive to one person. She's significantly happier now that she's able to open up to more people, and I'm glad that more people can know her the way I do."

"You have a fair point..." Erika said. "Now that I think about it, what should I call you, anyway? You're no longer my superior, but we can't exactly say we're friends, either."

"Just Miho is fine, Erika-san," Miho said.

"All right, Miho," Erika said. "Your point is good, even if it's one that I didn't realize at the time. I only vaguely knew that the Assistant Instructor had a sister, until she mentioned you in one of her conversations."

* * *

_Eight years ago_

On the Nishizumi school's tankery training grounds, Erika finished training some of the junior students. Among her class, she stood out from the others, and was recommended for more advanced leadership training, mastering the skills she was taught. While Erika was quick-tempered back then, the controlled nature of those training exercises meant that there would be no unpleasant surprises, thus preventing that flaw from becoming too much of an impediment.

"You did quite well out there, Erika," Maho said. "Most of the young students do not perform nearly as well as you do."

"Thank you, Assistant Instructor," Erika said pleasantly. "You and the Instructor do not give praise easily, so I strive to be worthy of it."

"As Mother said before, this is not an easy road by any stretch of the imagination," Maho said. "Not just any children can learn the Nishizumi style, so the ones that try are not given any allowances, and the ones who succeed earn our respect."

Erika nodded, but as a moment of silence followed, she found herself thinking back to the various things Shiho had said and that Erika had heard about Shiho. Her mind caught on one brief sentence about Shiho's family in a magazine article, and her curiosity was piqued.

"I'm curious about one thing, Assistant Instructor," Erika said. "I heard that the instructor has two daughters; do you happen to have a sister?"

"I do," Maho said. "Her name is Miho and she's a year younger than I am; in other words, your age. She's less interested in tankery, though, as she has difficulty accepting the idea of being ruthlessly devoted to it."

Erika mentally noted how Miho was the same age as she was- thereby wondering for the briefest of moments whether Miho was like her, before Maho's words proved otherwise. What had happened to result in her turning out that way, in spite of being raised by Shiho? Perhaps Erika would never know for certain.

"I never expected that from a Nishizumi," Erika said. "What does she hope to be if not a tanker?"

Maho's stern visage momentarily gave way to warm smile.

"What, indeed?" Maho said, intrigued. "If I am a worthy heiress for my mother, she will have no need of Miho, enabling her to choose what path she wishes, be it tankery or anything else. Still, I do honestly enjoy and take pride in tankery itself, and I hope she will do the same."

Erika simply nodded. She did not do tankery purely for fun, but took pride in how she did it, and did it because she chose to do so. She believed that if Miho did tankery halfheartedly, she would be of no use to her team or her family's school. She believed that it would be best for all concerned if Miho wholeheartedly embraced tankery, and persisted, regardless of whatever challenges she would face or whatever sacrifices she would have to make.

But Erika would not notice the hidden sentiment in Macho's carefully chosen words until years later, nor would she imagine that the heiress of the most prestigious school would tell her sister, the head of the school's other daughter, to forsake her family's style and blaze her own trail, different from the one Erika herself was walking.

* * *

_Present day_

"Essentially, that was the first time I heard about Miho," Erika said. "I didn't think as much of it at the time, since I didn't imagine that Miho would end up doing tankery, which would mean that we would likely have no reason to interact."

"I suppose not," Miho said. "My sister had many other people she knew through tankery or her work in the Nishizumi school. They were generally polite to me, although we couldn't exactly be friends, since they saw me as someone related to their commander and/or their teacher."

"Not everyone felt that way, Miho," Maho said. "Some, not unlike Erika, did not view you as a superior or very important person, and believed that they didn't need your approval to stay in my or Mother's good graces. As such, their reasons for getting along well with you were not necessarily self-serving in nature."

"That might be true," Miho said. "Of course, it seems as though Erika-san didn't necessarily need my putting in a good word for her to succeed at the Nishizumi school."

"You could say so," Erika said. "I graduated at the top of my class. It was a proud moment for me, but I'm not sure that means much to people from Oarai."

Miho pondered Erika's remark for a moment, and wondered if she could say the same about how Black Forest viewed Oarai's accomplishments until their victory in the finals. Those in Black Forest who shared Erika's mindset would not likely have acknowledged Oarai as a worthy foe had Oarai not also succeeded in defeating them.

"I think most people at my school have heard of the Nishizumi school, Erika-san," Miho said, "especially the student council, which recognized my family name. They have some idea of how prestigious it is, as well as how rigorous the training is, to say the least. Most of them realize they wouldn't be considered exemplary or even adequate students there."

"Well, not everyone feels that way," Erika said. "For example, that girl I flew to the hospital on our school's helicopter..." Erika began, before trailing off, unable to remember the name of the person in question.

"Reizei Mako-san," Miho said. "She has some trouble with tardiness, particularly getting up in the morning, but she's at the top of our class and is our best driver. It's possible that she wouldn't go to the absolute top at Black Forest, but she'd do quite well if she weren't turned off by the school's strictness."

Erika thought back to her first encounter with Mako, where she had refused to acknowledge Erika's superiority and suggested that Oarai would prevail against it; against all odds, she was proven correct. Erika briefly wondered why Miho would fail to mention it, finding it unlikely that she had forgotten.

"She clearly seemed unimpressed with me, thinking of me as part of some ivory tower or what have you," Erika said. "I honestly couldn't understand why she and the rest of your friends were so offended that I was telling them what seemed to be obvious back then- that you had little hope of making a decent effort in the tournament."

Miho paused to consider her response. While she had succeeded, she was fully aware that it had never been guaranteed, and that her success in the finals this year was not, either. She instead decided to show Erika how her friends had felt.

"From my friends' perspective, they never wanted to think of things as hopeless for them, even if they initially didn't think they'd get very far," Miho said. "And, from their perspective, if there's a newcomer to a competition, isn't it polite and sportsmanlike to wish them good luck, even if they may eventually become your opponent? If they're trying their best, do they not deserve for you at least recognize and respect their efforts, even if their results are quite poor by your standards?"

"I understand that much," Erika said. "Perhaps I've never been part of an underdog or newcomer team, but I've seen enough people like you who come in with such hopes, and endure them being dashed time and again. Of course, most were better equipped than you were at the start, and most didn't make it as far."

Miho nodded. She was pleased to hear Erika conceding some of her argument, but realized that Erika was about to make one of her own.

"Now let's look at it from a different perspective," Erika said. "If anyone can accomplish what you have so quickly, then what does it say about the efforts of someone like me, who has tried so hard for so long, yet has had less success?"

Miho found herself unable to answer the question. Mako, the person who had made the original statement, found that school and tankery came easily to her, save for the times when she had to wake up in the mornings. And while her friends as a whole tried very hard, it was not the sort of effort Erika would likely acknowledge.

"Is my choosing Miho as vice-captain what you have in mind, Erika?" Maho said. "I still believe, even after _everything_ that happened, that she was the best choice back then."

"I suppose Miho was qualified, but believed she didn't seem to have the determination for the position," Erika said. "Any undertaking requires a mixture of talent and effort. It's a bit like cutting down a tree with an axe; you need a strong axe to be able to cut the tree, but you also have to swing with all your might, in the right way and while believing you can cut it down, or else you won't get anywhere."

"I understand what you're saying," Maho said, having remembered Erika's analogy as one Shiho had used in a lecture on tankery, "but I will say that Miho does have an abundant amount of her sort of determination, even if she said that it's because she cannot simply follow in our footsteps."

"But let's go back before that for a moment," Erika said. "After I graduated, I went to Bismarck Middle School, and did tankery there. Neither of you probably remember me, although I did remember both of you."

In hindsight, Miho remembered Erika's name, but the team was large enough that she did not know everyone on it, so she understood why she had neveer spoken with Erika.

"I actually recall hearing your name, Erika-san," Miho said, "although we didn't speak much."

"We would have, if I'd been chosen commander in our last year," Erika said. "I applied for that position, but was passed over."

"I heard," Maho said. "My successor as Bismarck's commander is apparently studying abroad in the US. The coach hoped Miho would become commander, but was unwilling- and, under the rules, _unable-_ to compel her to do so. Even Mother, as much as she expected us to follow in her footsteps and do tankery her way, believed it would not be in our best interests to force a reluctant Miho to command."

"Neither did I," Erika said. "And since Miho was largely going with the flow, I gave most of the credit for the team's victories to the commander. So you can imagine why I initially thought Miho was not Black Forest leadership material, and why I was disappointed when she was chosen over me."

* * *

_Two years ago_

One afternoon, shortly before tankery practice was about to begin, Erika stood outside the Black forest tankery garage, waiting for her meeting with Maho. Maho had planned to announce her new vice captain at practice that day, so she went to the meeting somewhat eagerly, but with a small amount of eagerness.

Maho approached Erika, accompanied by Miho. All of Black Forest's tankery team knew that Maho and Miho were sisters, so it was not strange for Erika to see the two together.

"Hello, Erika," Maho said. "I've been hoping to talk with you about your application to the position of vice-captain."

"Yes, Commander?" Erika said. "Have you come to a decision yet?"

"We have," Maho said. "We completed the search process for a vice captain and we chose someone else. You were a promising candidate, though, so please continue to work hard and do your best for the team."

Erika let off a sigh. Maho's wording was careful enough, emphasizing that they had made a decision, rather than the fact that Erika had not been selected, but Erika understood the implications; that she was not the best candidate for vice-captain.

She found what she believed to be the simplest explanation; she simply wasn't good enough.

"Yes, Commander," Erika said. "But why, if I may ask, is your sister here for this announcement?"

"I wanted to introduce you to one of your new superiors," Maho said. "Miho is, by my choice and with the coach's approval, our newest vice captain, and Akasaka-senpai's replacement."

"I'll do my best," Miho said. She was hesitant to promise that she would meet the Nishizumi school or Black Forest's standards, but she believed that she owed them her best effort.

Erika immediately knew the implications of this choice, as well as the fact that Miho was, like her, a first year. Erika had assumed that if she lost, it would be to an upperclassman. It was partly a matter of pride, as Erika believed herself to be the best first year; while Black Forest favored senior members of the team for command positions, exceptional individuals could become vice-captain or even commander in their first year, like Teru and Maho had. She also believed this in the hopes that next year or the year after, the position would be vacant and she could try again..

Erika was familiar enough with Miho's resume to know what she had going for her. She had been doing tankery for a long time. She had been in many positions of responsibility, from commander of her crew to vice-captain of the team.

Maho had a great deal of evidence backing up her decision, enough that Erika found it difficult to dispute, but not enough that she was fully convinced of Miho's capabilities. But Erika was less worried about Miho's competence and more worried about her resolve.

Miho seemed to be driven onward by her mother's demands, rather than any passion she had for herself. Black Forest was very much tied to the Nishizumi School, but could they count on Miho to lead them? Could Miho make the many difficult decisions that were expected of Nishizumi disciples? Remembering what Maho had once said about Miho's doubts about tankery, Erika was not convinced.

Another part of Erika, however, concluded that regardless of whether she liked what had happened, it had happened, and now was the time to make it work. Miho had become her superior, and Erika owed her respect and obedience. Perhaps if Miho was as talented as her sister, it would not be such a bad thing to lose to Miho. Perhaps Miho might one day grow into a commander comparable to Maho. Perhaps if she did, it would be the best possible outcome.

* * *

_Present day_

"I would be lying if I said I did not, back then, think I could do a better job than Miho," Erika said. "Perhaps the others felt the same way; to apply for vice captain, you have to believe you can do it better than anyone else, and have the qualifications to support your claim."

"I know how you feel, Erika-san," Miho said. "The other candidates for vice-captain had to be very confident in themselves in addition to being skilled. I can see that they'd be disappointed to not be chosen, and would be skeptical that someone like me would be better than they were. Incidentally, my mother _did_ want me to apply for the position, although I was not entirely unwilling; the expectations were steep, but I would be facing them with my sister."

Maho nodded. The sisters realized Miho was happier at Oarai, but the one thing they missed most about Miho's time at Black Forest was their ability to do tankery together, even considering Maho's responsibilities.

"That may be so, Miho," Maho said, "but with the coach having to approve my decisions, I chose you because I believed you were the best choice for vice-captain, as someone who has considerable experience and works well with me, someone I trusted to help me fulfill my considerable responsibilities." Maho paused slightly. "I stand by my decision."

"Similarly, I stand by what I said to Miho, after that one meeting," Erika said. "You do remember it, don't you, Miho?"

"Ah, yes," Miho said. "That my appointment was a responsibility, that the fact that I was chosen was proof of people believing in my ability, and that because I was chosen, I had to live up to it."

"Precisely," Erika said, pleased that Miho had remembered. "I wanted to believe that you would become a good vice-captain for Black Forest, one that I would eventually come to acknowledge as the better choice. And, for the most part, you lived up to my expectations... until the finals."

"At the time, it no longer mattered to me whether we won yet another championship," Miho said. "I simply had to rescue my friends from danger, or... there might not have been 'a next time' for them."

Erika paused to consider what to say next. Miho had known that the finals would eventually come up, and knew what she would say. How, then, would Erika respond to that?

"Yes, I'm well aware of your reasons, Miho," Erika said. "But for a moment, consider things from my perspective."

* * *

_Two years ago_

Erika was in her Konigstiger, pursuing Pravda's flag tank on the high cliffs above where Miho was.

While quite ambitious, Erika also believed in doing her job for the team at the moment, whatever it may be. Victory was expected of Black Forest's tankers, so she saw it as her job to do whatever she could toward that end. Perhaps if she succeeded at this juncture, she would possibly be chosen as vice-captain once Teru and Maho graduated. For the moment, however, it was nothing more than a possibility, and yet another potential reward for good performance, so rather than count her chickens before they hatched, Erika remained focused on the task at hand.

Erika saw several other Pravda tanks near the flag tank. It was well protected, but all Erika needed was one shot, and the game would be hers. She ordered her gunner to take aim at the flag tank, confident that she had a good shot.

_"And now it ends," _Erika thought. _"I suppose I underestimated you, Nishizumi Miho, but I'm actually glad you came through for us this time- no, perhaps I should say 'as usual.' Maybe you do deserve your position after all."_

But the Pravda tanks held their fire. For a moment, Erika did not understand- picking her off would be a somewhat simple task, and necessary to protect the flag tank and stay in the game. But a moment late, Erika found out why.

"Pravda wins the tournament!" the announcer said.

Erika pounded her fist onto the side of the tank. Her difficulty in dealing with setbacks and outright failure was one point against her when she was considered for the position of vice-captain. Perhaps the Nishizumis were expected to win all the time, but they were also expected to be able to handle their mistakes well, so that a minor setback did not doom their efforts.

"This isn't happening!" Erika cried out in frustration. "How did the flag tank get taken out?"

"Apparently, it was Vice-Captain Nishizumi," Erika's radio operator said. "She left her tank to save one that had fallen into the water, and it was taken out while she was away."

Erika let out a bitter chuckle. The entire debacle felt like a bad joke. The person who had been chosen before Erika as vice-captain, one ostensibly better than her, had failed the team at a crucial moment. For a moment, Erika had to wonder- did this mean she was seen as inferior even to a person like that?

If Erika had been in command of the flag tank, she would have done what she saw as her duty. There was no point in helping a tank that would be unable to re-enter combat, especially when the critical flag tank was on the line. Perhaps the tankers would be in danger, but there were those who would be coming to help them, and no need for the commander of the flag tank to abandon her position.

Perhaps Miho's position would soon open up- Erika imagined that with the backlash such a decision would cause, she would resign from her position if she was not removed. But this was not how Erika had wanted things to happen. She had hoped that her school would be victorious once again, even if she was not Maho's right hand.

Erika had some measure of courtesy and decorum, though, and knew that it was not advisable to express those opinions out loud, even if she believed she was not alone in possessing them.

As the closing ceremony ended, and the Nishizumi sisters walked off to deal with private matters, Erika shot Miho a glare full of malice, too angry and disgusted with to even speak. Miho had failed the team, and perhaps Erika had been mistaken to expect anything from her.

That nonverbal exchange was Erika and Miho's last before Miho returned to the school and submitted her resignation.

* * *

Shortly after the tournament, Erika was called into Maho's office. While Maho had heard many people speak out against Miho's decision, she had not heard about what had transpired during the Nishizumi sisters' return home.

"You wanted to see me, Commander?" Erika said as she stepped through the door.

"Yes, Erika; have a seat and I'll get straight to the point," Maho said, and Erika sat down in front of the desk. "Miho has resigned as vice captain and made arrangements to transfer out of Black Forest. As such, I now need a new vice captain. Of all the other ones who applied and will still be around next year, you are my first choice. You are also the one my mother and the coach recommended, for having the resolve necessary to win. Are you still willing and able to serve as vice-captain?"

Erika understood Maho's word choice. She would always be second to Miho, and perhaps further down once the rejected candidates who had been third-years were considered. She was chosen in large part because of the wishes of other people.

But there was only one thing for her to do. Maho was giving her the opportunity she had long desired, and asking her to step up to help the team in its time of need.

"Yes, ma'am," Erika said.

"Good," Maho said. "I have spoken with the coach. The two of us will meet with her and Teru later to discuss your responsibilities and our plans, but for now... congratulations."

Maho extended her hand.

"Thank you, Commander," Erika said as she took and shook Maho' shand.

Erika had a great deal of work ahead of her, more than might be expected for even a great responsibility like being vice-captain of Black Forest. But living up to those responsibilities was within her ability, a matter of her Nishizumi style honor, and her duty to the team, all of which she believed she could better perform than her immediate predecessor.

* * *

_Present day_

As Erika concluded her account of how she achieved the position she desired through what she saw as an undesirable turn of events, she, anticipating Miho's response, decided to speak first in order to ward it off.

"Say what you will about what you saw or the decision you had to make, Miho," Erika said. "But if you do so, understand what losing meant to Black Forest, and to me, in particular. Perhaps it may mean little to you compared to those in the tank, but tankery is not merely a game to many of those at Black Forest. The loss was quite hard on us, and to some degree, I did blame you for causing such a problem and leaving without doing anything to solve it. You'd almost earned my respect by the time of the incident, and might just have had it if you had stayed, improved and helped us win."

"I know how you feel, Erika-san," Miho said. "But it's _because_ so many felt that way that I decided to leave, even if it meant parting ways with my sister and my friends, some of whom disagreed with the majority. In any case, I'd prefer that I was held responsible, instead of those I had saved."

"You may be surprised to hear this, Miho," Erika said, "but when Koume announced her decision to stay on the team, and dedicate herself to making up for her mistake, I actually had a fair amount of respect for that kind of resolve- and for doing what I believe you _should_ have done. That's why she's one of the team I respect the most, and is my vice-captain."

"I'm glad to hear that," Miho said. "I didn't want her and the others to blame themselves, or anyone else to blame them."

"Well, it's more of a case of giving them a second chance," Erika said. "They made a critical mistake, but they're willing to rededicate themselves to that, so I respected their resolve, just like how I was disappointed in yours."

"Coach Kubo once said the same thing," Miho said. "I understood what she was saying, but back then, my mind was made up. No one- not you, not she, not Koume-san, not Mother and not even my sister- could have changed it."

Erika nodded.

"That much was clear when you returned to school to turn in your resignation," Erika said. "And yes, I had some idea of what was going on, 'behind the scenes,' if you will. Assistant Instructor Nishizumi did not tell me, and that was the first time I had seen you since the finals, but in spite of that, I knew enough to figure out the rest."

"That was entirely my decision for the sake of Miho's privacy, Erika," Maho said. "Mother did not ask me to do so, but did allow it, wanting to minimize how much exposure this incident received."

"That's very much like Instructor Nishizumi," Erika said approvingly. "Even with her family involved, she always thinks of her school first."

Miho considered how to respond to that, but decided not to argue, since the only arguments she had were ones that Erika would not respect. In spite of that, there was one thing she still wanted to know, one question she believed Erika had not satisfactorily answered.

"But before we move on, I have one question, Erika-san," Miho said. "The lives of the girls in those tank were in danger, but a significant portion of Black Forest, you included, opposed my decision. Please, help me understand- what could be so important that their lives were a secondary priority to you and the others? What reason would you have for abandoning them to continue to fight?"

Erika paused, taken off guard.

"I don't know how to put it in a way that you'll understand," Erika said, "but if I had to say it, I would say that the needs of the many outweigh those of the few, that a collective goal outweighs individual desires, and that your duty to your organization outweighs any obligations you have to your friends."

"What goal is so important?" Miho said.

"I would call it 'school pride,' so to speak- upholding the good name of Black Forest and the Nishizumi school so that those who are part of them can be proud to be part of it," Erika said, "not unlike how people are motivated to serve their country out of patriotism. You do remember what I asked you, Atago Kinue and the commander and vice-captain from Rinkai, right?"

"Yes," Miho said. "For a time, I was proud to be part of Black Forest, and I _am_ proud to be part of Oarai. But upholding my school's pride- that of Oarai, Black Forest or anywhere else- does not compare with the safety of those I fight alongside. So how much does it mean to you compared to _your_ life, Erika-san?"

Erika let off a sigh that soon turned into a bitter chuckle. She left her mic open in the process, enabling Miho and Maho to hear it.

"You've really got me in a tough spot, don't you, Miho?" Erika said. "There are three possible responses- admitting that victory does not matter most, looking like a cowardly hypocrite, or coming off as obsessed with my principles to the point of being practically suicidal. None of them are very desirable."

"That's because it's a difficult position to defend, Erika," Maho said. "Even Mother, as blunt and ruthless as she is, wouldn't be able to say outright that she'd have let those girls drown. Perhaps she'd rationalize it by saying that they'd be taken care of anyway, but it would be more difficult to justify it."

"You have a point, Assistant Instructor," Erika said. "The most I could say in response to Miho's question is that I would be ashamed if my mistake or misfortune hindered the team. But I will also say that not everyone can do things the Nishizumi way. I see no reason for us to justify our ways of doing things with those who have incompatible mindsets, nor any reason for us to accommodate such people in our team."

"Like me?" Miho said.

"Like _almost everyone_ from your school," Erika replied. "That's part of the reason why I assumed that you wouldn't make it far in the tournament. Of all the opponents in that half of the brackets, I only concerned myself with Saunders and St. Gloriana."

"Both of which Miho and her school eventually defeated," Maho said. Having spent so much time hearing her mother talk about her school, Maho had a certain appreciation for the value of concrete facts in a debate. The fact that Oarai had won in such cases was one even Erika could not deny.

"Maybe so," Erika said. "But for the moment, I had to focus on getting through the first three rounds, even if I was confident in my ability to do so. And it did serve its purpose, as well."

"What do you mean?" Miho said.

"Shortly after I had lost the position to you, I believed that if the commander, Teru and the coach let me take your position for just one round, I'd show them how much better I was," Erika said. "Chihatan, our first opponent last year, was good for that purpose. They weren't a complete and utter joke, but they were at a disadvantage against us."

* * *

_Last year_

Black Forest surveyed the battlefield after Chihatan's defeat. All but one of Chihatan's tanks had been disabled, but only one of Black Forest's had been.

It had been Erika's first match as vice-captain, and she found that her responsibilities came easily to her. She had been preparing for the position since middle school, and felt prepared enough for it to confidently state that she was qualified when Maho interviewed her. Along with Maho, Teru and the other commanders, she had ben preparing or the match since the tournament drawing.

The battle had gone according to plan from the beginning until the end. Black Forest's superior tanks and more skilled tankers had easily crushed Chihatan as they had anticipated. Chihatan's desperate measures had been well within Maho's predictions, and with Erika's help, they had quickly eliminated the flag tank as it had tried to flee. There were many schools out there that sought to take down Black Forest, but Chihatan did not belong to the highly exclusive group that could actually prove a threat.

Erika smiled. Chihatan was hardly the strongest opponent out there, but winning against them was a step toward restoring Black Forest's credibility. It was proof of how they performed without unpleasant surprises. Erika believed that with her help, this winning streak would continue, and Black Forest would be the champions once again.

* * *

_Present day_

"Essentially, we won easily in the first round, as a result of having a good opponent" Erika said. "Of course, so did Oarai, to a lesser extent."

"That's because BC Freedom _defeated us_ in the first round," Miho said, "which was a wake-up call that gave us motivation to improve. At times, I wondered if the same happened with Black Forest, but it seems that many of the flaws that were there are not so easily removed."

"Maybe you would consider them flaws, Miho," Erika said. "To the Nishizumis, they were proof that we were following their teachings, and our victories were doing well by their standards."

Miho simply nodded, realizing that the Nishizumi style could not be so easily discredited when people won with it. She was once again reminded of why her mother and the other Nishizumis tried so hard to win.

"Our second match last year was not worth discussing," Erika said. "Virtually everyone, inside the team and out, expected us to win, and we did. People started to see the result of the last tournament as due to an unfortunate incident, rather than proof of our weakness or complacency. Essentially, we were returning to the status quo, and I was glad for it."

Erika's tone was level and dispassionate, as if she were talking about it snowing outside after seeing a forecast predicting a blizzard. Miho subconsciously shook her head; in each of her school's matches, there was some sort of problem to overcome, and the few times and the few cases in which they had the advantage, it was not absolute.

"Then came the match with Pravda," Erika said. "You saw that one, didn't you?"

"I saw it all on TV," Miho said. "Since the winner would become our opponent in the finals, many people in the team took an interest in how the match went and who triumphed."

Pleased that she did not have to go over what had happened in the match, Erika moved on to explaining its significance.

"To me, the match was close, but I believed that by protecting the flag tank, I succeeded where you failed, against the very opponent that had defeated us before."

"Mother had a similar interpretation," Maho said. "She was planning on disowning Miho if she lost to Saunders."

Erika did not speak for several seconds, as she processed what she was hearing. She had always thought of Miho as someone who, while at Oarai, did as she pleased. As a result of learning what the stakes were, though, Erika was starting to reconsider this idea.

"This, on top of your fighting so your school could remain open?" Erika said, incredulous. "Perhaps you were fighting for higher stakes than ours, after all, Miho. Perhaps you did put more on the line for your ideals than we did when you saved the Tas while fighting Saunders."

"That may be the case," Miho said. "But even with what was at stake for me, I am not the sort to sacrifice others for my own well being, nor do I expect them to give up their personal goals so I can achieve my own. Not only is seeing people as expendable tools far too callous for me, it's also arrogant."

Erika's lip twitched, and she wondered if Miho was trying to guilt trip her. But then she realized what Maho had once told her. Miho had no desire to proselytize to others, but was willing to explain her beliefs to others.

"But so far, you _have_ achieved those goals of yours," Erika said in a matter-of-fact tone. "That you did so does say something about your skill, but I wonder what will happen when you're no longer able to do so easily. What will you sacrifice- your principles or your hopes of victory?"

"Perhaps I'll do something not unlike what I did two years ago," Miho said. "In that case, I'll make the choice that I believe is best suited to both goals."

Erika paused, hoping to see Miho tested in the future, and curious as to what she would do when it came.

"Going back to myself, the finals came, and the worst possible scenario happened," Erika said. "Our attempt at reclaiming our honor and proving to the world that Black Forest was still the best was thwarted by a no-name school, commanded by the girl who had left us behind."

Miho remained silent. Erika already understood what the victory meant to Oarai, and was now saying what it meant for Black Forest.

"I understand, Erika-san," Miho said. "But considering what was at stake and what we achieved by winning, I have no regrets about winning."

"I didn't think so," Erika said. "Your friends made their opinions on the Nishizumi school clear when I met them in the cafe, much like you did when you chose to save the tank. There really isn't any chance of convincing any of you to accept the Nishizumi style."

"No, there isn't," Miho said. "But I'm interested in hearing where you stand now, now that Black Forest has been defeated two years in a row."

"I was promoted to Commander, for a few reasons," Erika said. "Part of it was because I was the only holdover from the command team. Part of it was because of my background in the Nishizumi school. And part of it is because the coach respected my determination to improve after the defeat, precisely what Black Forest needs to re-establish itself as the champion."

"So how successful have you been, Erika-san?" Miho said. "How have things been going so far this year?'

"Not as well as I'd hoped at this stage," Erika said. "We won the first two matches, but not as well as we usually do."

Miho was a bit surprised to hear that. The first round was fairly easy for her, but because of her absence, the team had wondered if they could make it through the quarterfinals. And Rinkai was a difficult battle- was Erika also taking winning the semifinals for granted?

But Maho, understanding Erika's perspective, simply nodded and confirmed what she had said.

"Ah, yes," Maho said. "I saw the first match. I also heard about the match with Chihatan in the second round, even if I didn't get around to watching it myself. My school's second match was on that day, not long after I got back from seeing Father."

"I'm somewhat glad that you and Instructor Nishizumi did not see this match, Assistant Instructor," Erika said, "since it was not one of my proudest moments."

* * *

_Earlier this year_

At the end of Black Forest's second match with Chihatan, Erika surveyed the battlefield.

Chihatan had lost seven of its ten tanks, including the flag tank. But Black Forest had lost four tanks, and one of the surviving Chihatan tanks almost succeeded in shooting the flag tank. It was hardly an outcome that Erika would consider ideal, and significantly less smooth than her previous match with Chihatan.

But even if Erika doubted herself, she could not afford to let it show. She realized what Maho's attack of indecisiveness had cost her in the battle with Pravda, and saw how Miho's failure to uphold the Nishizumi style had led to their defeat two years ago.

After the match, the two sides came together and exchanged bows.

"Thank you for the game," Komaki said, extending her hand for a handshake.

"Likewise," Erika said, taking and shaking it before they parted ways.

The Chihatan team came together. This was Komaki's final year of high school, and she had lost to the same opponent again, so she stood before the team with a weary and remorseful expression..

"I'm sorry, everyone," Komaki said, bowing to her teammates in apology.

"Hardly anyone was expecting us to win, Princess," Takimi Haru said. "Aunt Yoshiko told me that her friend from the JGSDF, Instructor Chouno, said the Nishizumis train almost unbelievably hard."

"So do we," Iwato Akise, Kasumi's younger sister and Komaki's cousin, said. "I'd like to think that counts for something."

"Still, we did what we could," Karijuku Tomoe, a second-year with red hair in a ponytail and glasses, said. "We may not hold ourselves to the same standards as the Nishizumis, but we held out as long as we could against them."

"You're right," Komaki said. "We do have some exhibition matches left this year, so I, as always, will do my best to lead you all.

As Erika walked off, she gave them a backward glance, overhearing snippets of her conversation, but shook her head. She saw their mindset as a loser's perspective, and was determined not to share it. She stood above others, and would not settle for mediocrity, but would make her school the champions once again, no matter who stood in her way.

* * *

_Present day_

"So that's where I stand now," Erika said. "I hope to succeed where my predecessor failed, but to do that, I must first defeat those who have won against us in the recent past"

"I see," Miho said. "While I have given my all in the tournament so far, I don't see my participating as a matter of defeating those who are pitted against me, but securing victory for my school. I also don't dismiss other ideologies as wrong, per se, but often find I can learn something from them."

"Including the Nishizumi school?" Erika said. She found Miho's answer quite like her, but wanted to know if she also drew influences from the school that could be described as antithetical to her style.

"Yes," Miho said. "By not being a style I could follow, it challenged me to find my own way. And all my practice when I was younger gave me the skills necessary to win and lead my own team."

Erika silently nodded. She had suspected this much, but now decided to move on to telling Miho about why she wanted to talk to her.

"There were a few reasons I wanted to tell you this, Miho," Erika said. "The first was why I was hostile for you, as well as why I was ultimately wrong. The second was to show the difference between us and to see how well we could understand each other."

"I think I understand you somewhat better now, Erika-san," Miho said, "and why you want to succeed so badly, apart from it being for the sake of the Nishizumi school."

"I have every reason to want to win the tournament this year," Erika said. "To succeed against you where my former commander failed. To restore the reputation of Black Forest and the Nishizumi school. Because it's my duty as commander. And, well, because it's something I want to accomplish for myself, for the sake of proving myself, both in comparison to you and in comparison to all my peers."

Miho sighed, wondering if Erika still refused to acknowledge her rivals as worthy opponents, or their reasons for fighting as good ones.

"I've met all sorts of people with different reasons for winning among my allies and rivals," Miho said. "One girl wanted to stay with her new friends at Oarai, while her old friends wanted to see her again. Another wanted to reconcile with her mother, who hated tankery. Yet another wanted to reunite her family. All those, and many others, are good reasons for winning, and for those reasons, those girls are more than willing to stand against you and the former champions."

Erika paused for a moment

"Maybe," Erika said. "But then I'll have to prove that Black Forest truly is the strongest school, and it's made that way by all the leaders and subordinates it has had over the years, with reasons like mine. Our strength is the result of our efforts and cannot so easily be overcome"

"Perhaps," Maho said. "But remember, Erika, that there is no such thing as an invincible team or a foolproof strategy."

"I'll keep that in mind, Assistant Instructor," Erika said. That advice was difficult for her to accept, but when it came from one of the people she respected most, it was easier for her to understand.

A pause ensued, as Erika checked the time.

"I have to go," Erika said. "I have preparations for the semifinals, but it has been informative talking with you. See you around Miho, Assistant Instructor."

"Until next time, Erika," Maho said.

"Goodbye, Erika-san," Miho said.

As Erika logged off, Maho and Miho remained in the call.

"So, Onee-chan, do you think Erika-san will be OK in the semifinals?" Miho said.

"It's hard to say," Maho said. "She has changed a fair bit over the past two years, but... so have all of our other rivals."

"And now she's facing Kinue-san in the semifinals," Miho said. "I honestly don't know who to root for, since I have friends on both sides."

"I know how you feel, Miho," Maho said. "On the one hand, Kinue is my friend, and I feel I know her better than most of my subordinates. On the other, Black Forest is my alma mater. I felt a sense of duty to the school, a sense of loyalty to it not unlike what Erika felt, and I wanted it to succeed while I was commander."

"So your duties come into play, Onee-chan?" Miho said.

"Somewhat," Maho said. "I'm not entiely sure I would have chosen Black Forest if Mother had not expected me to do so. But it's my school all the same, and once was yours, so it's natural to feel a certain emotional attachment to it."

"Just like the way the Atago sisters feel about Pravda," Miho said. "But in their case, they didn't go anywhere else for high school, so it's their school, their mother's school, and the school where all their friends went, so they'll essentially root for it in virtually all cases."

Maho nodded, finding what Miho had said to be quite familiar to her.

"It's certainly simpler for someone like Hiroe," Maho said. "She told me very plainly that she would be rooting for her sister and her alma mater, and seemed disappointed when I couldn't respond with the same conviction. But she was happy that I was hoping for you to succeed, since she could understand that desire very well."

"You know, that may be the problem, Onee-chan," Miho said. "Some of the Nishizumis do imagine that they're in many ways superior to other tankers. Maybe they are on some levels, but that mindset keeps them from realizing how much they have in common with their rivals. And as long as they're convinced of their own superiority, they will never question their own ideals or consider those of others, and will never change."

"That's true," Maho said. "And when they encounter an opponent who can win against them, it's the best way to disabuse them of that notion. Perhaps defeat may be a good lesson for them... and for you."

Miho nodded.

Maho and Miho talked for a few more minutes about daily life and tankery, and as they logged off, their thoughts were on their school. They had attended becuase they had been expected to do so, but it was a place they had once attended, so they had a certain amount of sympathy for those who did tankery there, even if they had motivations of their own. In the same light, even if their association with Erika had only come through the team, they could not help but hope that she would succeed on one level, if not necessarily by winning.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

This is the last Interlude. I have created a poll asking you which Interlude is your favorite (note: not which _character_ is)

**Character Analysis: Erika Itsumi**

Erika's one of the more difficult characters to portray well, so she requires more explanation.

While Erika is one of the least pleasant characters in the main series, who typically insults or acts dismissively toward others in almost every scene except her last one, one has to wonder whether there's a reason behind her actions or more humanizing elements to her. Motto Love Love Sakusen Desu paints her in a more comedic light, but also shows some more sympathetic elements to her, such as her newfound respect for Miho, which might be an interesting look at her post-series. As for the pre-series, one can imagine that she was on the cusp of developing a grudging respect for Miho as vice-captain, before the incident in the finals. She has come to understand Miho's reasons for her decision, but still follows the Nishizumi style holds victory above all else.

There's an interesting difference between Erika between the manga and the anime. In the anime, Erika enjoys smugly needling Miho whenever their paths cross, without being at all sad or overly happy that Miho is gone. In the manga, however, Erika accuses Miho of betraying Black Forest by transferring out during a difficult period. Necessary to Win's Erika hews slightly closer to the anime version; Erika thinks that Miho abandoned her duty toward Black Forest, but also that they're better off without her. Perhaps Erika might have forgiven Miho had she remained at Black Forest, but as Miho is now, Erika has come to accept her decision, and acknowledge her as an opponent.

Erika's relationship with Maho has changed slightly in the last year. Erika knows there is more to Maho than the facade she adopts as commander, but realizes that she has only ever been able to get a glimpse at it when Maho inadvertently lets her, a bit like the difference between glancing into Maho's house through an open window, and being invited over.

While Erika has grudgingly come to accept Oarai as a worthy adversary, the same cannot be said for all of her opponents. For example, Erika would be mortified if she lost to Chihatan, which her school defeated almost effortlessly in her second year, and lost to Black Forest's semifinals opponent in her first year. To a lesser extent, this includes Pravda. While Erika concedes that she has lost to them in the past, the victory over them in Necessary to Win proves, in Erika's mind, that Black Forest is superior.

Of course, some opponents do offer a threat to Erika. The first is the aforementioned Miho. The second is Satoha; while Erika views her as an outsider, she also admits that Satoha has enough accomplishments to her name to warrant caution. The third is Kinue; Erika not only dislikes her family's style of tankery, but also her reasons for getting involved. Erika recognizes that Kinue might be able to win, but the possibility of Kinue doing so angers her, since Erika still regards Kinue as inferior.

Erika has changed somewhat since last year, but remains a somewhat proud and hot-tempered individual. She has also improved, but so have her opponents. The question thus remains- can Erika keep pace with her opponents? Can Black Forest remain dominant over tankery? This question may not get a definitive answer this year, but this match, as well as the next, should Black Forest win, will go a long way in showing the answer.


	32. When the Future is Uncertain

**Chapter 23: When the Future is Uncertain  
**

Life went back to normal at Oarai, as the team trained in preparation for their final match of the tournament, even as their opponents prepared for their semifinals match.

Oarai did not yet know which of the two remaining semi-finalists would be their final opponent, but their goal remained the same; to refine their basic skills and ability to work together, so that they would be able to defeat whoever they faced.

They also prepared for the future, training some of their newer members so that they would truly be ready to fight on the team next. year. They had a long way to go, but when the next year came around, they would not have the same disadvantage that much of those who had come to the team soon after its return had. Improving one's skills was an ongoing process, and when the next year came, the newcomers' seemingly thankless efforts would pay off for them and for the team as a whole.

* * *

Inside the observation tower on Oarai's practice field, Miho, along with the rest of Anglerfish Team, watched a group of first-years practicing inside the Panzer IV. Some of the more experienced crews took turns rotating out to give the newer members a chance to practice, improve their skills and see where they would fit best. Five of the first-years, who worked together on a regular basis, did particularly well in the Panzer IV, excelling in drills and even holding their own when Azusa and Nodoka commanded half of the team each in a practice match against each other.

"Wow, it's almost like we're the ones crewing that tank," Saori said.

"I agree; their skills have improved in all roles, as has their ability to work together ," Miho said. "They may fit into the team well as our replacements."

"If they end up that way, it's probably the first new team that hasn't joined as a pre-existing group since we and Rabbit Team did," Saori said. "Out of curiosity, Miporin, how do other schools deal with forming crews?"

Miho paused as she sifted through her memories. Most people, including the recruits who had joined Oarai in the middle of the year, joined tankery by themselves, as opposed to the groups of friends and fellow club members that comprised most of Oarai's tankery team.

"They tend to try to keep crews of people together, but that's dependent on everyone being able to perform up to standards," Miho said. "As such, it's entirely likely that you'll have a different crew from one year to the next; most successful crews have a good level of mutual trust and even friendship, but they aren't quite as close as most of ours." Miho paused. "Of course, constantly changing crew makeups can happen here, too, and Momogawa-san is one individual who has been subject to that- and will continue to be."

Anteater Team had lost Piyotan when she graduated at the end of the previous year, and would lose Nekota and Shiina at the end of the current one. It had changed a great deal, and would in the future, but so far, those changes had largely been for the better. The team had come a long way from its rough start, and now was able to pull through in tight spots.

Miho realized that Oarai's team as a whole would change. They would lose established assets to the team, while gaining potentially promising new talents. Some members would not stay around for long, while others would become valued parts of the team. Change was inevitable, but was it necessarily good?

Miho's thoughts drifted back to her mother, whose entire life had been devoted to the Nishizumi school. Miho was starting to truly understand what it was like to be responsible for a group that would remain after one's tenure in it had expired, as well as to worry about how it might change after her departure.

In the end, however, Miho knew, as she had since she learned that her mother believed that firing on an enemy rescuing one's allies was an acceptable method of attaining victory, that she could not emulate her mother's ideology or methods. Miho also knew, since receiving Hisa's e-mail about her meeting with the last commander of Oarai's old tankery team, the cautionary tale of Oarai's old tankery team. Ultimately, the solution was hers to figure out until her successors inherited that responsibility, but the prospect was less intimidating for her than it once was. Maho had not endeavored to allow Miho to live her own way merely out of sisterly love, but also because she knew this, so it was now up to Miho to make the most of this opportunity.

* * *

Late at night at the Nishizumi house, Shiho continued to work on her school's curriculum in her home office. She had changed from her suit to her nightgown, having handed her most of her business clothes to Kikuyo so that she could do the laundry. The workspace was neat and relatively spartan, having little in it but what Shiho needed to work. The minimalist touch was not for the sake of professionalism, as Shiho did not use the room to meet people, but so she could work without distractions. When Shiho was inside, Kikuyo was under orders to knock, and to not bother Shiho unless it was an important matter requiring her attention.

Shiho thought of being head of the Nishizumi school as being at the intersection of the past, present and future. She had not founded the school, but she had inherited the fruit of all her predecessors' hard work, and it was for their sake that she hoped to ensure that the Nishizumi school continued onward. She had faced many issues in her time, and would face many more until her retirement. She would one day hand the leadership of the school over to Maho, but it was still her duty to ensure that Maho inherited a strong school, and to ensure that Maho was ready for the responsibility.

The task had always been difficult, but Shiho believed that the easiest way to accomplish this goal was to use the same methods as those who had previously worked on it. Her conviction in this idea had been absolute, founded on the impressive records of many of its alumni, but when Black Forest's winning streak was stopped, her convictions were shaken.

Shiho had recently come to the realization that perhaps, her time as head of the school had never been like what her mother and grandmother had experienced. Neither of them had multiple daughters, and none of them had a daughter like Miho. Black Forest had been defeated many times in the past, but those instances could always be blamed on a failure to follow Nishizumi tenets. It seemed like the most logical explanation, or at least the explanation that Shiho was most inclined to come up with.

More recently, it no longer seemed as convincing as it once did. It would now be put to the test, with Shiho's former student Erika facing off against the schools that defeated her school two years ago and last year, and Shiho's daughter heading towards the finals. Neither of them would have Miho on their side, and Shiho believed that no one would be holding them back. But if they lost, what then? Would Shiho need to rethink the Nishizumi style itself? Shiho had found herself considering the possibility more than she would like to admit, but could not find any answers to that question.

Shiho looked at the clock on her desk, and realized that it was getting late, and no answers were coming. Managing the Nishizumi school was no easy task, but there were times in recent years when Shiho was dissatisfied with her performance even while taking that into account.

* * *

At Pravda, Kinue held a meeting with Kumakura Toshi, her team's coach, to discuss the team's performance. While many anticipated that Toshi would retire soon, few wanted to see her go. Toshi was the school's longest serving coach, having coached since Kinue's mother was in high school, and had played an important role in developing the team over the years. In an interview, she said one of the greatest joys of teaching was seeing her students develop over time and succeed in their own right, particularly passing down their knowledge in one way or another.

As Kinue gave her report on the team's practice and strategy planning, she noticed Toshi simply nodding, but not saying anything until she had finished.

"At this point, with the match so close, I think the time has come to say that you've done all you could, Kinue," Toshi said. "You'll need to have the people and tanks ready for the semifinals"

"I know, Kumakura-sensei," Kinue said, "and those are good points. But when my opponent's Black Forest, 'all I could do' may not be enough, so I can't entirely be satisfied with this."

Toshi nodded. She had heard the sentiment in many ways from Kinue's predecessors when they faced Black Forest; most of them had failed, but a handful had succeeded. The one thing those who had succeeded had in common was the desire to continually better themselves and the belief that they could succeed. Kinue always had the former trait in abundance, but her developing the latter trait had been an ongoing process.

"That's natural," Toshi said. "When you set out to do what you haven't done before, you naturally find yourself wondering to some degree whether you can do it. People experience it to varying degrees, but those who do actually do it succeed by virtue of keeping that feeling to a reasonable level."

"Yes, ma'am," Kinue said. "I do believe in my own ability and that of the people under my command. Of course, I am also aware of difficulty of what I am setting out to do, and no amount of confidence will change the facts of what I am up against."

Toshi nodded.

"You know, a bit of doubt isn't always a bad thing," Toshi said. "Black Forest's belief in their invincibility has gone on for too long, and even losing to Nishizumi Miho has not completely shattered it. Perhaps it may be better for them in the long run if they lose to you tomorrow."

Kinue nodded. She had never believed herself to be the strongest, but merely hoped that she would be able to accomplish her goals and those of her team. Confidence had brought her sister quite far, but she drew strength from other sources. In the end, it would be up to her to succeed where her sister had failed many times, and do so her own way.

* * *

At Black Forest, the team continued to prepare for the finals, but as their semifinals match approached, there was an odd tension in the air. Their coach was even more vigorously enforcing the rules, which was saying something considering Black Forest. Takako was also holding private meetings with Erika, and rumors swirled as to what the two Nishizumi disciples were discussing. Some concluded that the meetings were nothing more than strategy discussions, while others had theories of their own, such as that the headmistress, in her second year at the school, was considering ordering Takako to resign if the tournament did not end well for Black Forest.

While many Nishizumi disciples attended and did tankery at Black Forest, because of the selective nature of the school, they comprised a relatively small portion of the team. The majority, while generally talented, at least somewhat experienced in tankery, possessing a good work ethic and determined to win, thus did not unquestioningly accept or even understand why this tournament was so important to those from the Nishziumi school.

With such feelings in mind, Awai approached Koume. Awai knew that Koume, one of the relatively few who openly spoke out in favor of Miho's decision to save her tank- particularly since she was one of those who had been saved- would be able to answer her questions without parroting the Nishizumi doctrine.

"Hey, Koume, I've got a question," Awai said.

"Go ahead, Awai-san," Koume said. While some would have taken Awai to task for her familiarity with a girl who was both her senpai and her superior, Koume had no objections, having had a similarly friendly and informal relationship with Miho.

"Is it just me or does Black Forest seem even more on edge than usual?" Awai said. "I mean, I came in the year after 'that incident' in the match with Pravda, so I understand we've been struggling to make up for that loss, but this even goes beyond that."

"Times were difficult in the days after our loss two years ago," Koume said. "People were calling for Miho-san and my crew to resign- except for me, they ended up leaving the team anyway for other reasons. It got bad enough that the former commander had to step in and insist that no one was to be scapegoated for what happened. Things only started to improve when we had something to work towards- namely, succeeding where we failed."

"I know," Awai said, "And I also know how well _that_ worked out."

"The loss against Oarai was easier to take," Koume said, "since we'd defeated Pravda, only to lose after a long struggle against Oarai, rather than a twist of fate. As such, no one who wanted to play the blame game could honestly do so without taking on a share of the responsibility. But while we didn't feel cheated out of the victory, it was sobering to accept that we had shortcomings that couldn't be pinned on a single member or group. Those who favor the Nishizumi style took it particularly hard, not wanting to see their school suffer a loss of face."

"Yeah, that's what I heard," Awai said. "So how about not telling me about other people's opinions and instead, saying what _you_ think?"

Koume nodded.

"I was grateful for the opportunity to be part of a school with a record like ours," Koume said, "and even more grateful to be given a second chance on the team. As a way of showing my gratitude, and for the sake of my team, I try my hardest so that my friends, the rest of the team and I can win. I suppose for many people, things are as simple as that when it comes to tankery, even those in the Nishizumi school."

Awai nodded. While full of herself enough to hope that her teams would be worthy of her, rather than the other way around, she still resolved to perform at least as well as she believed she could, for the sake of proving herself and advancing her school's good name. Perhaps if other Black Forest tankers had mindsets similar to her and Koume, their desire to win would be easy enough to understand.

* * *

Before the match, Hiroe called Maho on the phone. After a few minutes of greetings and small talk, the conversation turned to tankery, particularly the upcoming match between their respective alma maters.

"Black Forest vs. Pravda is coming up fairly soon," Maho said. "It's gotten quite a bit of hype, so fair number of people are talking about it at my university. It's probably the most eagerly anticipated Japanese tankery match this year apart from the university finals; considering that we're competing, that's saying something."

"Yeah, I'd imagine," Hiroe said. "The same goes with my university, which has some Pravda alumni attending. One of them, who's two years older than I am, invited me to a party, where I'd watch the game with people who went to Pravda, but I declined, since Hiroko and I are going to see it with Mom and Aunt Masaki- Dad and Uncle Masaya have work, and Grandma hasn't been able to make it to my games since I started high school."

"I see," Maho said. "I've received similar invitations, and declined them for the same reasons. Mother and I will be watching it together."

Hiroe let off a soft, sympathetic sigh, knowing that spending an entire match with Shiho was not likely to be a pleasant prospect, especially not for a daughter who grew up under her thumb. But because she knew that Maho was perhaps the person most aware of this, and because she had more pertinent questions, Hiroe decided not to bring this up.

"Just wondering, but who are you going to be rooting for this time... privately, that is?" Hiroe said. "Have you given it any more thought?'

Maho sighed.

"That's a difficult question, Hiroe," Maho said. "Kinue is my friend and your sister, but Black Forest is my alma mater."

Hiroe paused. She and Maho felt comfortable enough talking to each other that Maho could honestly admit that she would not be rooting for Pravda, and could believably say that she would be.

"I know what you're getting at," Hiroe said. "But even apart from my little sister, I have a few younger friends who are still at _my_ alma mater. Can you say the same?"

Maho paused, carefully thinking over her answer.

"I'd like to say yes," Maho said, "but unfortunately, I can't do so wholeheartedly. The truth is that most of my team sees me as a commander, first and foremost, and we don't know each other well enough to be considered friends. It's part of how the Nishizumis are expected to lead."

"Well, my family and I aren't like that," Hiroe said. "If you came to the Atago school, and enrolled as a student in the Refresher Course, you'd have to call me 'Assistant Instructor' or 'ma'am,' but I could make an exception for you when we're alone."

"I see," Maho said. "That sounds like a reasonable deal, but I most likely will never get to put it to the test."

"Well, I wasn't completely joking," Hiroe said. "My family's school has done some collaborations with others. One of our first students for our adult classes was Assistant Instructor Shimada Mayumi, who's about six years older than I am, and doesn't see anything humiliating about going back to school or learning from someone with a very different mindset."

"That's quite wise," Maho said. "Perhaps the Nishizumi school may need to adapt and change as well, a process that will likely become my responsibility."

Hiroe paused to consider her answer. She wanted to wholeheartedly support Maho on this regard, but having challenged Maho and her school many times, only to be defeated almost every time, she knew what it meant to want something badly, only to face difficult odds.

"Not to be a killjoy," Hiroe said, "but how would you plan on doing that? Your mom's' a real bi-I mean, tyrant, and we're talking about something much bigger than running off to save a tank in a championship match. You'd not only need a viable plan, but a way to implement it without your mom putting a stop to the whole process."

"I don't know yet," Maho said. "I only know that change is needed, but not what to do or how to do it."

"I thought so," Hiroe said, with mild disappointment. "It's kind of unfortunate, but rushing in without a plan gets you nowhere at best. I suppose that you can only do what you can do, for now, right?"

Maho nodded.

"For now, I will fulfill my responsibilities as heiress," Maho said, "which, in the short term, means defeating you in our coming battle."

Hiroe remained silent, not at all surprised by what she was hearing. She knew and got along with other schools' commanders, but when they faced each other on the field of tankery battle, they were no less determined to defeat her. It thus made sense that Maho, as heiress to the Nishizumis as well as commander for Rhineland University, would be no different.

"Please don't take this personally, though," Maho continued. "It's the same as it was for Miho last year; the Nishizumi style expects its practitioners, especially the school's heiresses, to triumph no matter who stands in their way."

"Oh, I won't," Hiroe said with a chuckle, her sense of competitiveness having revived. "I'll just make sure it ends the same way your attempt at beating Miho did- in complete and utter failure!"

"I see," Maho said. "Well, I look forward to seeing how you do, Hiroe."

A few minutes of conversation about school and life late, Maho and Hiroe said goodbye, promising to do their best in their upcoming match.

As Maho got off the phone with Hiroe, she remembered what she liked most about her friend; her ability to wholeheartedly and confidently commit herself to her chosen course of action. Erika had that to some degree as well, and while her arrogance caused Hiroe to dislike her, they were less different than Hiroe was willing to admit. This aspect of them was particularly evident when contrasted with the relatively humble Miho and Kinue, who won because their opponents underestimating them, and because they did not lose themselves to overconfidence or impulsiveness. At the same time, though, Hiroe and Erika's confidence was both based on past successes and crucial to their present success, giving them the advantage in a battle of wills.

Who would triumph once the rivals faced each other this time? Maho found this question difficult to answer with any degree of certainty, but knew that for Erika, the answer was obvious.

_"I suppose if nothing else, you've always known what you want to do, Erika,"_ Maho thought. _"If you keep that confidence and clarity of focus up at the crucial moment, without letting it go to your head, it might just be the key to victory."_

* * *

**Author's Notes**

This is another transition chapter, leading up to Pravda vs Black Forest, and mainly going into the Nishizumi school plotline again.


	33. Overcoming Hesitation

**Chapter 24: Overcoming Hesitation  
**

The day of the match between Pravda and Black Forest came, and it was a day that everyone on both of the teams, and a large portion of the tankery-watching public had been awaiting with eager anticipation.

The match took place in a wetland area, and featured many bogs and other obstacles that would impede the tanks' movement. The terrain was extremely difficult to traverse, with some of the wet spots slowing tanks down, and some sinkholes able to trap a tank until it disabled itself trying to escape... if another tank did not defeat it first.

The organizers of the tournament had debated whether to even include this as a possible tankery battlefield, with some citing possible safety concerns, and others saying that it was simply impractical as a tankery match. By narrow consensus, it was approved, as the safety concerns were not considered far beyond others, and it was considered a battlefield with challenging terrain, which some of its proponents considered an important part of tankery, and a way of leveling the field for some schools.

In spite of the conditions, the match was well-attended due to the hype it had received over the past week. Both Pravda and Black Forest had entered this battlefield with the intent of challenging the champion, and only one would emerge from it to face Oarai in an attempt to reclaim their title.

* * *

The pre-match ceremony was held on one of the few open fields on the site of the match, and Black Forest and Pravda's commanders exchanged bows. While the schools were said to be bitter rivals, the individual tankers in both schools valued professionalism and good sportsmanship too much to openly show hostility, whatever their feelings were. The best way they could prove their school's superiority over their rival was to win this match, and to be the better person until then.

"Let's have a good match, Itsumi-san," Kinue said, extending her hand.

Erika eyed Kinue's hand for a moment, and, shrugging almost imperceptibly, took her hand and shook it.

"Yes, let's do our best," Erika said, less than wholeheartedly, a sort of forced politeness people like her showed to those they saw as their lessers.

After they withdrew their hands, Erika paused before speaking.

"Rest assured, there will not be any unforeseen accidents this time," Erika said. "The winner will be decided by skill alone."

Kinue paused, slightly taken aback by what Erika was implying.

"Is this about two years ago?" Kinue said. "My sister and the others weren't happy to win that way. The outcome was what they desired, but the circumstances under which they got it were not."

"I'd imagine," Erika said. "But since it first became a major player in the tankery tournament, Black Forest has always had people accusing it of winning through underhanded means or the strength of its technology, using any excuse possible to avoid having to acknowledge their own inadequacies. The simple matter is that we take tankery more seriously than others, and that's why we do it better than they do."

Kinue sighed. This difference in mindset was the greatest difference between her and Erika. Erika had fought under great pressure in all her years as a Nishizumi disciple, and Kinue wondered whether her reasons for fighting could compare with those. Thoughts like those often made her feel inadequate, and as those feelings would not be conducive to winning, she decided to put them out of her mind.

As she silently parted from Erika and walked back, Kinue let off a soft sigh when she was far enough from Erika that she would not be heard.

"Is something wrong, Comrade Commander?" Anastasia said.

"It seems, even after everything that she's experienced, Itsumi-san is still looking down on us," Kinue said. "She doesn't afford me the same consideration that she might to my sister or Miho-chan, much less Maho-san and the others who taught or commanded her."

Anastasia paused, finding it difficult to reply to what was Kinue's interpretation of Erika, based on Kinue's past interactions with Erika, and her own assumptions. Rather than disproving Kinue's beliefs, Anastasia decided to share her own.

"I don't really know what people like her think or how they judge others," Anastasia said. "But if you're determined to stop judging yourself in comparison to your mother and sister, then you certainly don't need to take the opinion of someone with an inflated ego like Itsumi's into account."

Kinue chuckled at the uncharacteristically blunt comment out of the otherwise quite polite Anastasia's mouth. Anastasia was respectful and polite to most people, so it was a bit of a shock for Kinue to hear her take such a tone when talking about Erika.

"That's true," Kinue said. "Of course, if Itsumi-san still feels this way, then it's clear that she has yet to fully understand what the years have taught her."

Anastasia shrugged.

"Maybe so, Comrade Commander" Anastasia said. "But all the same, the two of us, and the rest of our team, know what we have to do here. It may not be the same obsession many of the Nishizumis have, but we do give our all for this goal."

Kinue nodded. She often had found herself wondering why she was standing where she was, commanding Pravda, but realized that this was all the reason she needed. Someone had to lead the school, and she had a duty to her friends and subordinates to do the job as best as she could. As long as she did that, she could feel as though she deserved the responsibility, and have no regrets regardless of the outcome.

* * *

At Oarai, the team had yet another session for watching the tournament in the team' s meeting room. Some, such as the commanders, came to analyze the strategies that their final opponent might use this year. Others, like Yukari and the rest of Octopus Team, came out of love of tankery. Miho hoped to see some of her friends on both sides, and Caesar hoped to watch her second cousin.

Some members of the team were tempted to assume that the match had little to do with them, but others saw it differently. They believed that it was a chance to see their final opponent in action, to analyze the opponent's tactics and understand how strong their foe would be. Given that the last opponent would be one of the schools that had won the tournament in the two years before Oarai had, they would have an exceptionally strong opponent at the end of the tournament.

As Miho sat down with Yukari and her other friends from Anglerfish Team, she turned her attention to the student council. They had brought pens and notepads to take notes, but had also brought snacks, and even the serious Shizuru and Ayano seemed relatively relaxed. Miho had gotten to know them well over time, but still found it surprising to see them in such a way. Still, perhaps just as the Kadotani administration showed its serious side in moments of crisis, the Mikado administration could relax and enjoy themselves in calmer moments.

Oarai had been in many difficult matches thus far, and would not succeed in the finals without a great deal of training and preparation. In spite of those facts, Oarai could rest for the moment, watch their opponent, and take the time to prepare their strategy.

* * *

Meanwhile, Koume stood near her Tiger II, which had been chosen as the flag tank.

"You seem quite dedicated, Akeboshi-senpai," one of her crewmates, a second-year, said.

Koume nodded. The girl was part of the first generation of Black Forest tankers since Black Forest's first defeat in almost a decade, and while they knew the importance of the event, it had not affected them the same way it had their seniors, who had experienced Black Forest's win streak being broken first hand.

"Two years ago, a friend of mine, Nishizumi Miho-san, saved my life, abandoning her flag tank to do so," Koume said. "Some people blamed Miho-san, but I believed that it was because of me that she made the decision she had. So I resolved to do what it takes for my team, to never let down those who supported me again. And I also hope to see Miho-san again in the finals."

Koume's crewmate nodded.

"Whatever some people are saying, Black Forest won all these years because of the efforts of people like us, who wanted to do their part and support the team," the crewmate said. "Even considering recent events, I'm glad to be part of those efforts."

Koume looked at her crew, which was entirely composed of second-years, save for one first-year. All of them had heard of what had happened to Black Forest two years ago, and Koume's role in it, but none of them truly understood the significance for Koume on an emotional level.

But they were Koume's teammates and crewmates. They looked up to and trusted her, and were willing to stay by her not just out of the discipline demanded by the commanders, but out of a genuine sense of loyalty. Koume was willing to face Pravda and do what she could to prove that she was a valued member of the team who would no longer burden them as she once had.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kinue's vice-captain was the one entrusted with the position of being flag tank for her own team. As she looked at the flag affixed atop her IS-2, she stood, lost in thought. Disregarding the method by which the flag tank was chosen for a moment, she wondered whether if someone like her was worthy of this responsibility.

She knew what it meant to be flag tank commander, and that she would be filling the role that Kinue had filled in the final. Kinue had been defeated back then, and had taken it quite hard, but now, they were once again fighting the opponent that had defeated them last year, in the same match in which they had lost.

For all of Pravda, this was a second chance to win, to avenge their previous defeat and do better than they had before. They were thus determined to defeat Black Forest now, and Oarai at the finals.

* * *

In the stands, Eclair and Fondue watched the match, just as they had come to watch Pravda's match with BC Freedom. They realized that Black Forest, as the champion, would not fall easily, and Eclair's stomach churned with nervous anticipation for the match.

"So, Eclair-sama, are you once again rooting for the Nishizumi school this time?" Fondue said.

Eclair let off a sigh. Fondue had unwittingly posed a difficult question, but her tone was casual, one used for trivial questions that required no thought to answer.

"In the past, it would have been an easy decision, Fondue," Eclair said, "but now, I am no longer so sure."

"Is it because Pravda, by defeating us, earned your respect?" Fondue said. "Or might Black Forest have lost that respect through their recent defeats?"

Eclair responded with a nod and then a shake of he r head.

"Pravda has impressed me, but I do in some ways identify with Atago Kinue-san," Eclair said. "Like me, she is thinking outside of what her school traditionally does and trying to find her own way."

"That sounds reasonable," Fondue said. "But as far as you go, I assume you're thinking about Maginot, not the Nishizumi school?"

"Oui," Eclair said. "In truth, I cannot honestly say that the Nishizumi school is my school, not since I received the rejection letter almost a decade ago. I still remember, though, how it told me that, even if they had no room for me in the school, that I should try to excel in my daily life and incorporate their principles of not compromising in the pursuit of victory. You could say that's the one lesson they can give to those who are not their students, so the least I could do to show my appreciation is to follow it."

Fondue paused in thought for a moment, adjusting her glasses as she did. She'd known Eclair for a long time, and known about her admiration for the Nishizumis for nearly as long, but this was the first she had heard about Eclair being rejected.

"So only a handful of people can truly become Nishizumis, while the rest only see it as an ideal that they can hope to emulate," Fondue said pensively. "Itsumi-san has been described as arrogant, and I wonder if her graduating at the top of the class only furthers her belief in her own superiority over someone who never even got in."

Eclair shrugged.

"She would probably dismiss me as second-rate for having failed where she succeeded," Eclair said. "I can hardly fault her for that, since most fans do not ask for the recognition of those they idolize. But if we faced on the field of battle, I would be more similar to her current opponent, which is why a part of me hopes that Pravda will win."

* * *

As the match began, both teams advanced, keeping an eye out for the opposition, wary of being attacked while they were in a vulnerable position.

They rushed toward the more advantageous terrain- firmer ground and the more wooded areas- hoping to take it for themselves and establish a defensive foothold, so that they would be in an optimal position to attack the enemy as the other side struggled to counterattack or evade.

Black Forest reached their foothold first, a wooded patch of land near the morass, and quickly set up defensive positions, knowing that Pravda, having pursued the same goal, would likely be close behind them.

Meanwhile, Pravda's tankers, observing from afar, noticed what Black Forest was doing, and the realized that they had succeeded in the initial contest to seize the advantage. As the saying went, they had lost this battle, but it did not necessarily mean that they had also lost the war.

There was still a way forward, a way to force them to fight outside their comfort zone and off of advantageous terrain. It was a significant risk, but Kinue was long aware that when facing a former champion, few things were guaranteed to work with any degree of reliability. She'd attended enough strategy meetings with her sister to know how many ideas had been considered, and how few worked out in practice, and fought enough battles to know that she had to know how she intended to achieve victory.

* * *

In the relatively slow early part of the match, Miho turned to Mako, reminded of something she had discussed with Erika.

"Mako-san, Erika-san was curious about one thing," Miho said. "She mentioned that she graduated at the top of her class in the Nishizumi school, and suspected that such a feat would be meaningless to someone from Oarai; I believe she had you in mind. Do you think so?"

Mako chortled.

"Well, from what I saw in the previous rounds, she's certainly not living up to it at this moment," Mako said. "So yeah, I would question what kind of school your family's school is like if someone like her managed to come out on top."

Saori couldn't help but smile at seeing some of Mako's old self for the first time since the match with Rinkai and the news of her grandmother's passing.

_"Biting sarcasm again,"_ Saori thought. _"It looks like you're starting to bounce back from your grandma's passing, Mako."_

"The Nishizumi school is strict, rigid and disciplinarian," Miho said. "They're highly dedicated at best, but ruthless at worst. That's why someone like Erika-san is able to do well by their standards, while I was not. But the Nishizumi style does have its merits and its uses, even if it's not good for a place like ours, with many neophytes and few tanks of high quality."

One Nishizumi school assistant instructor was quoted as saying that if tankery was like rock paper scissors, the Nishizumi style was like a hammer, able to break scissors, crush rocks and even overwhelm paper. Just as the hammer, despite being like a rock, was superior to all the other choices, superior skill and strength were said to be able to overpower all else in the Nishizumi style, which is why it was so inclusive. Some critics, however, asserted that the Nishizumi style relied too much on the strength of its tanks.

"But you were able to find a way to defeat it, Nishizumi-dono," Yukari said.

"I suspect it's in part because Miho-san understands her school so well," Hana said. Flower arranging did not have the same competitive aspect as tankery did, but Hana knew that she had certain insights into her family style that outsiders and even students of her family did not.

"That's true, Isuzu-dono, and I don't think Black Forest's ever faced an enemy like us before," Yukari said. "But they have faced Pravda, haven't they?"

"They have," Miho said. "Most of the time, they're able to win, but exceptions have happened before."

* * *

In the stands, Kinue's parents, sister, aunt and cousin were watching. All of them had participated in matches against Black Forest in the past, so one thing struck them as odd when they saw all of Black Forest's tanks in play.

"That's odd..." Masaki said. "I don't see the Maus anywhere. One would think Black Forest would feel threatened enough to bring it out."

"They didn't bring it out against us last year or the two years before that, Mom," Hiroko said. "The Maus is large and powerful, but it's not practical for all situations, nor is it invincible."

"You could say the same about Black Forest," Hiroe said. "The German tanks are quite difficult to take down in a straight-up fight, but they can still be defeated by other means, particularly the ones Oarai used."

Masae nodded.

"The Nishizumi style has remained relatively stagnant over the years," Hiroko said. "It's somewhat ironic that Maginot's current commander- I believe her name is Eclair- described herself as a fan of the Nishizumi style while she herself brought change to her school."

"The style means different things to different people, Hiroko," Masae said. "A servant may see it as a way of teaching her loyalty and humility. A Self-Defense Force officer might see it as an ideal to follow while playing for her school and serving her country. A teacher might be inspired by its use of discipline on students, to ensure they learn the lessons they're being taught."

"True, Mom," Hiroe said. "That said, it does attract a fair number of people who want to pad their resume or look for some excuse to lord over others. I really hope Maho revamps the ethics and sportsmanship part of the school when she takes over; she did promise to do what she could, but said that it wouldn't be a simple matter."

Masae nodded. As the founder of her school, she was also responsible for creating the rules that she had to follow herself, including those that limited her power. She recognized that some changes and adjustments had to be made for the school, but she only made those changes that were within her authority, and for the good of the school as a whole.

"I'd say Maho's assertion is realistic," Masae said. "The challenges of effecting change in a long and tradition-oriented organization aside, you simply can't force everyone who takes part in an organization to come away with all its values. Since Maho's own sister grew up to be a very different kind of tanker in spite of Instructor Nishizumi's parenting, Maho realizes the limits of parents' and teachers' influence."

Hiroe nodded. She acknowledged that she was in many ways different from her relatively reserved and serious mother, possessing a great deal of passion and hotheaded exuberance.

"Maybe," Hiroe said. "I certainly have to wonder if Instructor Nishizumi's so hard on Miho because Miho didn't turn out the way she wanted, in spite of her efforts, which is further proof that the Nishizumi style isn't all that it's cracked up to be."

Masae shrugged. She had heard a great deal about Shiho, including her belief that her efforts were out of respect for her predecessors and teachers, and for the sake of he successors and students. Shiho put a great deal of stock in that goal and was harsh on those who did not contribute, so the realization that her efforts were in vain would be a difficult one to bear.

But perhaps it would be a realization with which Shiho would have to come to terms sooner or later. Black Forest had been defeated before, and if Erika was not careful, her school would suffer defeat once again.

* * *

As Pravda approached where Black Forest's forces were entrenched, Black Forest fired on them, seizing the initial advantage by ensuring that Pravda's counterattack would be less effective, since not all of their tanks would be able to fire back..

Two Pravda tanks fell in the initial volley of mostly well-aimed shots. The battle was, for now, going according to Erika's predictions, so her subordinates remained orderly, efficient and deadly, as might be expected of Black Forest in peak condition.

Pravda, despite having suffered losses, returned fire. Their gunners kept their composure relatively well, and their shots struck home. Off in the distance, two Black Forest tanks- a Tiger II and a Panther, spewed smoke and raised white flags.

Pravda advanced toward Black Forest, continuing to fire. As other shells fell to earth or into the marsh, exploding and throwing up water and earth, shots struck true, taking out a Panzer III and another Panther. Meanwhile a shot from Black Forest took out one of Pravda's tanks, a T-34/76.

Kinue noticed that she was inflicting losses on the enemy, but was also suffering them in turn, without disloding Black Forest from their position. The battle had not been completely hopeless thus far, but she stood no chance of victory of things continued as they were.

"All tanks, withdraw after this next volley," Kinue said.

More shells burst forward from the Black Forest tanks, with some falling to the water, others striking the earth, and one finding its way into a T-34/76. As the smoke and dust cleared, they saw a single disabled T-34/76... and the rest of the Pravda tanks quickly escaping.

* * *

As the Pravda forces retreated, Erika realized that while they stood ahead of Pravda in terms of casualties inflicted- having lost three tanks to Pravda's five- it was hardly a result befitting the Nishizumi disciple attacking from an advantageous position.

Pravda was retreating, but in tankery, retreating was not merely a sign of cowardice. Often, it was a way to escape from an otherwise hopeless situation, to lure an enemy into the trap.

Irritated at this development, Erika rushed ahead. She was determined to not allow Pravda to control the match, and rather than let them force her to play on their terms, she would crush them her way.

In their haste to reach the enemy, though, many of Black Forest's tanks struggled with the terrain and their own limitations, hindering and, in some cases, stopping, their pursuit. A Panther was caught in the swamp, and taxed its engines, taking it out of the game. A Tiger I threw a track and a Tiger II's engine broke down and it was taken out of the game.

"All other tanks, press on," Erika said with forced stoicism.

Erika had learned many things about leadership at the Nishizumi school, but the most fundamental was that they were pillars of the team. Many Nishizumi practitioners, including Shiho and Erika herself, believed that any show of doubt or weakness on the leader's part would cost them the faith of their subordinates be fatal to the entire group's efforts. Maho had lost control for a moment, and her troops had rushed into a trap that she had anticipated.

So Erika chose to stand by her decisions, and believe that they would see her through to the end.

* * *

In the stands, Kazue and Carpaccio, as well as Anchovy, watched the game.

"This hardly seems like the same Black Forest that crushed us three years ago," Anchovy said dismissively, albeit aware that Anzio likely would not have stood a chance against even this "inferior" Black Forest.

"Or the same Black Forest that defeated us two years ago," Kazue said. "I suspect it's because they have a new commander this time."

"I sometimes find that difficult to believe, given some of the mistakes that they're _still_ making," Anchovy said. "Did Black Forest learn nothing since losing to Oarai?"

Carpaccio shrugged. While Oarai had succeeded, and Pravda stood a good chance, other schools were not so lucky. Chihatan, Continuance and Waffle had all lost to Black Forest, and even Pravda had been defeated a year ago. Those schools had worked to improve their tankery, but not all of them had much to show for it.

"We learned our lessons from our defeat," Carpaccio said, "both in terms of tactics and philosophy. But in the end, we were defeated as well this time. The fact that some schools overcome significant odds to win doesn't mean that all of them will, and I'd say that Pravda is still less likely to win today."

Kazue pondered what Carpaccio had said, before shaking her head. The fact that her school had been unable to overcome its disadvantages did not diminish her belief that doing so was possible.

"If Pravda succeeds here, it won't be the most surprising turn of events this year," Kazue said. "Of course, the same goes for Black Forest."

* * *

Pravda continued to escape, pursued by Black Forest's tanks. The heavy German tanks were keeping up better than Kinue had thought, so she realized that the chase could not continue forever. They would have to reach their destination, and be prepared to fight the enemy once they did, or else they would almost certainly be defeated.

They reached a bridge over a stream that was too deep for the tanks to ford. On Kinue's order, the tanks seamlessly formed single file and crossed the bridge, which was able to support their weight, even as Black Forest shells rained down on them.

As all of Pravda's tanks crossed the bridge, those that had made it across turned and provided covering fire, although a T-34/85 was lost as Black Forest shot it from behind.

The KV-2 fired, destroying the bridge as the last Pravda tank crossed and preventing Black Forest from crossing at this point. There was another bridge nearby, but it would take time to locate and cross, giving Kinue time to plan and ambush the enemy. Her forces then withdrew in a calm, orderly manner, having eluded their foes for the moment.

On the opposite end, of the arena, with time to spare as Black Forest searched for the other bridge, Kinue found a smaller patch of dry land, albeit one that was smaller and only had some rocks. The map had seemed to indicate that it was an ideal spot to entrench and fire on the enemy, but in practice, it was too exposed.

An idea occurred to Kinue. She could use that patch to station a few tanks, including the flag tank, there and draw the enemy in, before launching an ambush that would cut down the enemy's numbers while preventing them from counterattacking effectively.

She momentarily doubted this plan. It seemed a bit too simple, and she wondered if her sister would think of anything better, much like Hiroe had effectively controlled the match against St. Gloriana two years ago. If she were up against Maho, Maho would have anticipated what she was trying to do, much like she had anticipated many of Miho's moves in the finals.

Kinue quickly put those thoughts out of her head. She was not fighting under any of those she admired, or facing off against those of whom she was in awe, but for the sake of her school, and to achieve something she wanted to achieve for herself. Black Forest was a formidable opponent, but her school had defeated them before, which was all the proof that she needed to believe that she could help her school do so again.

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

I'd like to thank KMT4ever and Stalker117 for beta reading this.

I suspect that if Eclair admires the Nishizumi style but is not a student of the school, she tried and failed to become one in the past.

Next up is the second half of the battle.


	34. On One's Own Terms

**Chapter 25: On One's Own Terms  
**

Black Forest approached where Pravda's forces were lying in wait. With relatively little cover available, the Pravda tanks fired once their Black Forest opponents approached the edge of their effective range. The shots fell short of their targets, but less so than most would have expected. A few of the Black Forest tank crews had to check to confirm that their tanks had not been struck.

Erika surveyed the five tanks waiting, including the flag tank, with a measure of suspicion. She realized that the fight had not gone out of Pravda just yet, and they were not simply going to leave the flag tank right there. The only question was: what was Pravda planning?

Too late, Erika realized, as two tanks on each side attacked, striking two of her tanks down almost instantly. The German tanks had powerful armor and devastating guns, but the former was still vulnerable to well-aimed shots from strong shells, and the latter was of no use if the tanks were take out before they could fire. The Nishizumi school thus trained its students well, so they could make the most use of what they were given, but it seemed to Erika as though the training of the crews of the two tanks that had been disabled had been inadequate.

Pravda's tanks continued shelling the enemy, firing with renewed vigor and determination at their taste of success. The shots came more quickly, and fell closer to their intended targets, often where they needed to land in order to disable the tanks.

More Black Forest tanks fell to their onslaught as their leader failed to direct them. Black Forest's formation was no longer invincible, and was falling apart as it collided with Pravda's tanks.

The Pravda forces were reinvigorated by the losses they had inflicted on the enemy, and pushed on, once again advancing forward and firing. In the stands, Black Forest's fans cheered, while Pravda's sat in silent terror and dismay.

Slowly, but surely, the tide of battle was turning in Pravda's favor.

* * *

In the stands, the Atagos watched Kinue seize the advantage with eager anticipation, albeit tempered by the knowledge that Black Forest would not be defeated this easily.

"It looks like Black Forest is faltering," Masae said. "It's hard to say whether it says more about their commander or Kinue, but nevertheless, it is a pleasant development."

"Yeah!" Hiroe said eagerly. "Go get 'em, Kinue!"

"It's not over yet," Hiroko said. "Ultimately, both sides have taken a fair amount of damage, but their most important tank- the flag tank- remains in the game. The one that makes a mistake first will be defeated."

"Yeah, I suppose," Hiroe said. "But who do you think's going to make that mistake first, Hiroko?"

Hiroko smiled slightly and nodded. While in most cases, she preferred to base her decisions on pure logic and hard data, she recognized what Hiroe was getting at. She believed in her cousin, just like Hiroe believed in her younger sister, and hoped Kinue would prevail this time.

* * *

Erika seethed with frustration. She believed that she had known her opponent's strength, and how it compared to hers. Under most circumstances, Pravda would have fallen by now, so Erika wondered whether the fact that it had not said more about her team or her opponents.

Erika's offensive, however, was not entirely in vain. Erika's attacks on the tanks around the flag tank succeeded in taking out an IS-2, getting Erika closer to exposing and defeating the flag tank.

As Erika's tank downed another T-34/76, the kill brought no joy to her. Erika knew Black Forest was stronger than Pravda, and she believed herself more talented and dedicated than Kinue.

The Nishizumi style tended to believe that with enough talent and dedication, anything was possible, including a single dominating the national high school tankery tournament for a decade. This idea was empowering, but it was also at times difficult to live up to; Erika knew of some peers who failed and had been expelled.

Erika had prevailed thus far, but it was because she had never compromised or settled for less than her best. Perhaps this was arrogant to people like Miho's friends at Oarai, but Erika did not care for what others thought. She had a goal- win to restore the good name of Black Forest and the Nishizumi school- and she would achieve it by any means necessary.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Kinue's attack continued, she realized that it had been a while since she had thought about what her mother, her aunt, her sister, her cousin or her senpais would do in this situation. The battlefield was different from the times she had faced Black Forest in the past, as was the enemy commander. She was also fighting with a brand new set of tankers, most of whom had not faced Black Forest before.

For Kinue, victory would not come by going on the trail others had blazed for her, but by following her own path. She had her own problems, which required their own solutions, and the opponents she faced, different than those who had challenged her mother or sister in many ways, required different tactics to defeat.

As she saw her opponent still struggling to adhere to the Nishizumi style, Kinue sighed and shook her head. As much as she hoped her rival from Black Forest would learn what she had, Kinue was also there to win, and could not make any allowances. The result of the match for Erika- defeat at worst or narrow victory at best- would have to be her lesson, and Kinue hoped Erika would learn it.

* * *

As Maho watched her alma mater alongside her mother, she looked up and saw Shiho's typically stern visage slip as the battle turned against Erika. The Nishizumis believed that victory mattered above all else, but also believed in decisive victory, rather than pulling through by the skin of one's teeth.

_"Erika's having a lot of trouble against Pravda,"_ Maho thought. _"She's still likely to win at this point, but even if she does, it will not be a victory that Mother considers satisfactory."_

Of course, Maho recognized that the bar for Shiho's approval was high and people rarely succeeded. A flawless victory would merely warrant a "Well done." A decisive victory would result in Shiho delivering criticism. A narrow victory would lead to a lecture about tactics. And defeat was simply unacceptable.

So why did Erika want to please someone whose praise was almost impossible to earn, and whose approval Maho saw as a means to an end for Miho's sake? The very fact that it was difficult to obtain was one reason why Erika wanted to possess it. But Erika also took pride in being part of the Nishizumi school, and while she knew she could never inherit it, she wanted to be its champion, of a sort. Erika thus stuck alongside Maho, trying to live up to her and support the school better.

Maho then came to a conclusion. She wanted Erika to come to terms with herself, and find some way to step out of her shadow, doing tankery for its own sake, rather than for the sake of the Nishizumi school or its heiress.

Did that require winning the match? Maho did not think so. Perhaps the greatest changes required adversity, even if Miho's sacrificing victory and suffering backlash for it had almost driven her away from tankery for good.

_"Regardless of how this match ends or how decisive the outcome is, I'm sure you'll keep on going in tankery, Erika," _Maho thought, _"since not even losing here should be enough to discourage you. The only question is whether you can learn the lessons that you must."_

* * *

As Erika's offensive closed in on the flag tank, Kinue realized that, while mainly a reaction to the enemy, she would soon be defeated if she did not respond appropriately.

"This is the commander," Kinue said. "Anastasia-chan, retreat along the path to Point R1017."

"That point?" Anastasia said reflexively, hoping the disbelief in her tone appropriately conveyed her doubt. She and Kinue had discussed that a possible escape route earlier, since it was a narrow route, which only could be traversed by one tank, but both of them knew that taking it was only a means to buy time.

"I know that it's merely a desperate stratagem," Kinue said, "but it's all we have left. Just do your best... and don't blame yourself if the worst happens."

"да, Comrade Commander," Anastasia said. She and Kinue had prepared for this match for weeks, spent many planning sessions discussing the finer details of their strategy. In the end, however, they realized that how well they could perform on the day of the match would be most important, and they could not afford to doubt themselves or hesitate at crucial moments.

Knowing this, Anastasia ordered her IS-2 to follow the commander's orders with only one goal in mind- surviving as long as possible.

* * *

On the side of the field, a trio of Pravda alumni sat on blankets, watching the game. Toki lay with her head in the lap of her best friend, Shimizudani Ryuuka, while their mutual close friend, Eguchi Sera, sat nearby. Ryuuka and Toki, honorary graduates of the Atago school, wore the school's uniform to the games out of solidarity with Kinue and Anastasia, and gave Sera a bit of light-hearted teasing for opting to wear more casual attire instead, as a result of Sera disliking skirts, even though Sera had actually studied at the school.

In contrast to the exuberant Sera and the fairly cheerful and friendly Ryuuka, Toki almost looked as though she was asleep, as she suffered from chronic fatigue as a result of health problems. In spite of that appearance, she was watching the game intently. She saw a little of herself in Kinue and Anastasia, both individuals who had to try hard to make the cut for Pravda's team, much less excel as Hiroe, Hiroko, Katyusha, Nonna and some of the other recent graduates had.

"Hey, Sera, didn't you go to the Atago school together with Anastasia?" Toki said.

"Yeah, but we didn't go at the same time," Sera said. "She's what, two years younger than I am?"

"She is," Toki said. "Do you know how she did?"

"Ok, I guess," Sera said, prompting a quizzical stare from Toki, leading her to clarify. "Don't get me wrong; she passed and wasn't in any danger of flunking out, but she didn't do anything particularly well, except maybe working hard."

"I see," Toki said. "As someone who wasn't 'good enough' for a long time, I do have to wonder how well I'd have done. Perhaps I'd have been on her level, if not lower."

"Instructor Atago was quite proud of your performance last year, Toki," Ryuuka said. "By contrast, I was mainly honored for being a good teammate and supportive friend."

"That's still quite something," Toki said. "Trying hard may not necessarily be enough at this point, but from what I've heard, Kinue and Anastasia, as well as the rest of the team, have been giving their all. And, of course, Instructor Atago made a point of honoring good sportsmanship, so that's not an insignificant achievement."

Sera nodded in agreement.

"In any case," Sera said. "Anastasia and all our other kohais inherited all of our hopes, and are essentially fighting to avenge us. Because they're giving their all now, like we did last year, I believe in them."

"So do I," Toki said. "Their time has come, just like mine did, and I know they'll make the most of it."

* * *

Koume ordered her tank to avoid the enemy fire while staying on the path and out of the small ponds and wet spots in the arena. If the tank sunk into one of those, even for a moment, it would be exposed long enough for the Pravda tanks to take a shot that would disable it, ending the match in defeat for Black Forest.

Koume knew, all too well, that one moment could determine the outcome of a tankery match, and a simple mistake could spiral out of control. The driver Koume had two years ago had been severely traumatized by the incident and her belief that she was responsible for it. Following Koume's example, she had tried to take part in her university's tankery team, but had failed the tryouts.

Koume had no desire to judge her old friend and senpai for what she could not do, as she believed the issue was not about that. Following what had happened, she had sworn to do her best for the team, to make up for what had happened. Some had blamed her, and Koume had pondered quitting the team, but she ultimately considered Black Forest her home, and had resolved to stay, and redouble her efforts for the sake of her comrades. That resolve had enabled her to face her old friend Miho's forces in the finals. It had also earned her a certain degree of respect from Erika, as well as the vice-captaincy, perhaps the greatest gesture of trust Erika could offer. Koume thus was determined to prove that trust was well-placed, and see her school to victory.

* * *

Erika turned her tank and began to pursue the flag tank, by herself, rapidly turning as she cut a corner and put herself in a position to take a shot at it.

Erika's zealous pursuit, however, cost her dearly, as her tank slid to the side and threw a track. As she steadied to right herself, Erika furiously shouted orders to her crew, hoping to keep her crew on task now that victory seemed so close at hand.

_"I will not be defeated here!" _Erika thought. _"I did not lose to Waffle and I did not lose to Chihatan, so I will not lose to Pravda because of a thrown track!"_

Too late, Erika realized her mistake as the flag tank went off, unprotected, into the waiting Pravda forces, which immediately trained their guns on it.

_"This is my chance!"_ Kinue thought, and quickly ordered her tank forward at top speed, intercepting Koume's Tiger II.

Kinue's T-34/85 rammed into the flag tank, causing it to tilt forward, toward the guns of the other Black Forest tanks. As it did, she ordered the gunner to fire, striking at point-blank range and causing an almost deafening roar as it struck the German tank.

Both tanks came to a stop, save for the rising white flag from the Black Forest flag tank.

"Pravda wins the match!" the announcer said.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I'd like to thank Stalker117 and KMT4ever for beta reading this.

I'm curious as to whether you expected the match to end this way.

Both Kinue and Erika are not as skilled as their predecessors. Kinue, however, possesses strengths that Erika notably lacks; the knowledge of her own limitations, as well as the ability to keep a cool head. They kept her in the game long enough for her to gain this opportunity, and enabled her to make the most of it. These qualities also make them interesting foils for each other, and makes for perhaps a more interesting showdown than Miho against Erika. It also helps that Miho has already defeated Maho, one of the few people Erika respects; Erika's downfall is in part due to not fully respecting Kinue as an opponent.

In any case, it's an important match, and I wanted to show it in its entirety. One fic had Black Forest's defeat mentioned in passing as Oarai prepared to face the school that had defeated it (it wasn't Pravda, but another school Oarai had defeated in canon), so I had no desire to gloss over an event like this.

Two chapters will follow, dealing with the ramifications of the outcome and setting up what will come next. After that, the final battle between Oarai and Pravda will begin.

**Character Analysis: Anastasia**

Once a school's tankery team's leaders and top performers graduate, who's left? Often, the answer is: people like Anastasia.

Some schools, like Oarai and St. Gloriana two years ago, have rising stars on the team, ready to take over once their seniors graduate. In other cases, the junior members of the team may be relatively mediocre by comparison, having lived in the shadow of their senpais. Anastasia has always been in that position, from her time at the Atago school to her first year at Pravda.

Now, everything has changed. As a vice-captain, she must assist Kinue in leading Pravda's team. As commander of the flag tank, her defeat is the team's defeat. She has succeeded for now, but her most difficult trial lies ahead, once she faces Oarai.


	35. Lessons From Defeat

**Chapter 26: Lessons From Defeat  
**

Gasps of shock and cheers of joy went up from the stands as everyone witnessed the outcome of the match. While Pravda was regarded as a strong team, relatively few outside of their most ardent fans and supporters were expecting them to triumph over Black Forest. It had happened before, but it was generally considered a rare event, albeit one worth celebrating because it happened so rarely.

But it had happened twice in the past three tournaments, and in the only case in which it did not happen, something even more unlikely did; Oarai, the underdog, had triumphed. Those among Pravda's fans who had been frustrated with Black Forest's winning streak rejoiced, since the champion no longer seemed so invincible. Perhaps they would never get up to the level Black Forest once had, but the opportunity to stand atop high school tankery lay before them, ripe for the taking. Only Oarai Academy stood in their way this year, and while defeating last year's victors would be no small task, they believed it was well within their ability.

* * *

Among the Atagos in the stands, Hiroe let out a whoop and raised her fist into the air, as her cousin, aunt and mother smiled proudly.

"Way to go, Kinue!" Hiroe said.

"Yes, Kinue and all her teammates did a wonderful job," Masae said. "Black Forest may have had weaker leadership this time, but Pravda, as a whole, have come a long way since last year, effectively learning lessons from their defeat."

Masae's cell phone then began to ring, and she recognized the caller as her husband.

"Hello?" Masae said.

"Hello, dear," Masaru said. "I take it, by now, you've seen the outcome?"

"Oh, I certainly did, dear..." Masae said cheerfully. "Were you able to see it at work?"

"We turned a television on in the main office, and we saw the match," Masaru said. "A lot of my coworkers, especially those like Ueshige, who have kids in the school, are quite pleased with the outcome."

Masae nodded, remembering Suzu, before thinking of all the other men and women who worked alongside or under her husband. Most of them had never done tankery or shown much interest in it in the past, resulting in many of the children of Pravda being "first-generation" tankers, unlike Masae's daughters and niece. But while the parents had little interest in tankery themselves, they supported their children, and were thus pleased when they triumphed in a battle as significant as this one. Masae appreciated that sentiment, and believed that those parents understood the meaning of those victories in ways that parents like Shiho did not.

"I've got to get back to work," Masaru said. "Send my congratulations to Kinue, and tell her I'm planning on seeing her in the finals."

"I will, dear," Masae said, before saying goodbye and hanging up. She then rose from her seat, accompanied by her sister, eldest daughter and niece, and set out to find her youngest daughter once she was finished with the post-game ceremonies.

Pravda's struggle in the tournament had not ended, but it had succeeded where it had failed last year, an encouraging sign that would give those in the school, especially its commander, the confidence they needed to face Oarai.

* * *

The higher ranking members of Rinkai watched the outcome in a television lounge at the school. As soon as the match ended with Pravda's victory- and with it, the defeat of the champion that many, Satoha included, had hoped for- they began cheering in their native tongues.

"That's a pleasant development," Satoha said. "Black Forest being defeated once again, without any outside flukes that favor the competition, and by a different school than the one that did it last time, is quite an encouraging sign to those who will face them in the future."

"Yeah," Emi said. "All the same, I'm going to be rooting for Oarai again this year."

"That makes sense," Megan said. "I'd also think it's good to cheer on those who bested use as a show of support, and as proof that there's no hard feelings. Perhaps Black Forest doesn't feel that way, but it hardly matters."

Satoha nodded.

"The finals is between the previous two champions," Satoha said. "And yet, the previously dominant Black Forest, for the first time in over two decades, is not one of the two contenders for the championship. This should be interesting to watch, now that the winner is no longer all but predetermined."

"Yeah," Emi said. "I'm going to get in touch with Chihiro and Hitomi, and see if we can watch the finals together."

"Go ahead," Myeonghwa said. "At practice tomorrow, I'm going to ask my crew if they're interested in coming. I'd originally hoped to see it with my mother, or better yet, compete in it while she watched, but c'est la vie."

"That's a good sentiment, Myeonghwa," Alexandra said. "Of course, my favorite variation is 'Que sera, sera'. Latin's a beautiful language, even if I don't know all that much of it."

"I agree, Coach" Nelly said. "We might all have our own reasons for wanting to win, and serious about doing so, but it's good that we're able to accept our losses, and realize that life goes on, even if we don't get what we want. For their sake, I hope Black Forest feels the same way."

* * *

The post game assembly took place where the one before the game one had, although few were expecting Black Forest to be the ones congratulating Pravda as the winner.

"Thank you for the match," the commanders of both sides said, bowing.

Kinue, while pleased with herself and her team, became discomfited as she took a moment to consider the implications of what had just happened. Her defeat last year, while discouraging, had not been punished. But could she say the same for the much more strict and rigorous Black Forest? And if her defeating Black Forest was a tremendous accomplishment, what kind of failure was it for her opponent?

"Are you alright, Itsumi-san?" Kinue said, as Erika remained silent.

Erika simply sighed. Kinue was unsure whether Erika was not blunt enough to shake her head, or too proud to accept sympathy from an enemy.

"I... wasn't expecting the match to turn out like this," Erika said. "I suppose Pravda is a credible threat, but I wasn't expecting to lose to _you_."

Kinue nodded. She was past the point at which she questioned her worthiness to command Pravda, but she still realized that many opponents, not only those who were arrogant, did not see much potential or promise in her.

"Neither was I, for the most part," Kinue said. "We all knew that we would be at a disadvantage going up against Black Forest in some regards, but strove on in hopes of overcoming it. I did manage to win in spite of everything, and now will make the most of the opportunity that has been granted me."

Erika chuckled mirthlessly.

"Humble even in victory," Erika said. "At times, it's hard to believe that you're really Atago Hiroe's sister."

Kinue chuckled slightly. She had heard this quite often from many of her mother's students, and from some of her teammates at Pravda.

"Of course, this is hardly surprising when I think about it," Erika said, "especially considering that I know another younger sister who's notably different from the elder, but shines in her own way."

Kinue nodded, immediately recognizing Miho. Reflecting on Erika's observation, she would eventually realize that the same could be said about Saki.

"Both Miho-chan and I can only do what we can do," Kinue said. "Seeing that the path blazed by our sisters isn't necessarily one we can follow, we go our own way. Miho-chan knew this for many years, but I, who tried to emulate and be of use to my sister, only truly realized this when I took up her mantle as commander last year."

Erika let off a bitter laugh. At times, it was hard to imagine that Kinue had understood what she had failed to, in spite of the fact that both girls had become commander the same year.

"You certainly learn quickly," Erika said, "more quickly than I ever did. Perhaps even Miho understood what she needed to all this time."

"Understood what, Itsumi-san?" Kinue said, confused.

"Maybe Miho was right from practically the very beginning," Erika said, "in realizing that she could not achieve success by her family's standards. I was constantly trying to live up to Assistant Instructor Nishizumi, as well as the various other accomplished Nishizumis and fellow Nishizumi disciples who were my predecessors. I looked down on Miho for falling short by those standards, and giving up on improving herself our way. But in the end, she wasn't the one who truly fell short... I was."

Sensing the despair and shame in Erika's face and voice, Kinue extended her arm and laid a comforting hand on Erika's shoulder. She had never thought of Erika as an enemy, merely as someone who was competing against her in the name of a very different ideology and worldview. Perhaps Kinue saw Erika as harsh on her subordinates who failed her, but she had no desire to treat her the same way.

"I'm not certain what I can say in response to that, Itsumi-san, but I have two requests," Kinue said. "The first is to not scapegoat any of your subordinates for what happened. This also goes for your coach and the rest of your team, so please relay my request to them as well."

Koume gave Kinue a soft smile in gratitude, but said nothing to reveal herself. She appreciated this kind of compassion from Maho, Miho, and even Erika, although she still regretted her lack of success in repaying their giving her a second chance.

At the same time, Erika struggled to stifle her laughter at what, to her, sounded like a bad joke.

"Yeah..." she said, "even I know at this point that it's all my fault we lost."

Kinue shook her head, but saw Erika's assertion as a good way to segue into her second request.

"As for the second..." Kinue began, "whatever anyone tells you in the aftermath of this match, whether Coach Kubo, Instructor Nishizumi, or anyone else, know that you tried as hard as you could and fought well."

Koume nodded as Kinue's statement resonated with her once again, while Erika was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

"You really do have a different set of standards than my school does," Erika said, her tone less judgmental than Kinue expected.

Kinue nodded with a slight smile.

"I think we know, better than many do, that not everyone can fit into the standards of their given place," Kinue said, thinking back to the one piece of her father's advice that she regarded as above all others. "Sometimes, you can only find success under your own standards and through your own methods."

"I'll keep that in mind," Erika said. "Even though I may not be able to emulate many of the Nishizumis I respect most, I still seek to constantly improve myself and reach their level someday."

"That seems like the right mindset for your goal, Itsumi-san," Kinue said. "I wish you the best of luck succeeding _your way_."

Kinue extended her hand, and Erika took it and shook it. Silently bidding farewell to each other, they walked back to their teams.

Kinue walked back to receive the congratulations of her family, but she knew that her most difficult match was yet to come. Miho had succeeded against Black Forest with fewer tanks than hers, so it stood to reason that Miho could possibly triumph against her as well.

But Kinue also felt as though she had a great deal in common with Miho, and an understanding of her that came from those similarities. She felt as though she knew Miho's tactics, and understood her drive to win, so she would not underestimate Miho or be fooled easily. That understanding gave Kinue a great deal of sympathy for Miho, but Kinue also knew that just as Miho could not let down her teammates, neither could she.

_"It will be a pleasure to face you in tankery, Miho-chan," _Kinue thought, _"as well as a shame that only one of us will be able to accomplish what we set out to do."_

* * *

As the televised coverage of the other semifinals match concluded, those at Oarai who had watched the match from start until finish moved on to analyzing it.

"So Black Forest lost to Pravda," Shizuru said. "What do you believe the significance of this is, Nishizumi-san?"

Miho shrugged.

"That depends, Mikado-san," Miho said. "The most basic thing to take away from it is that there are those out there who can accomplish what we did last year- defeating the champion. Of course, they had greater numbers, which enabled them to more easily make risks, sacrifices or mistakes, and their better tanks made them better in a straight-up fight."

"So in the finals, they will outnumber us two to one and will have tanks that are largely better than ours," Shizuru said. "I may not know much about tankery, but even I am aware that these are steep odds, perhaps even worse than last year. I will be honest with you, Nishizumi-san; while I am hopeful that we can win, I believe that the odds that we _will_ are quite slim."

Miho solemnly nodded.

"The same could be said for last year, but we were unwilling to give up, especially given the stakes," Miho said. "And while the odds have always been in Black Forest's favor, they have always proceeded forward with a desperate sense of determination, afraid of what will happen if they lose."

"That's what I had heard," Shizuru said. "So now what? What happens now that they _have_ lost?"

Miho remained silent for a moment, considering her response. Ordinarily, the answer would be obvious to her, as she had witnessed how Black Forest had reacted to an defeat. Now, Black Forest was facing its third such defeat, a somewhat unprecedented event that made it harder for Miho to predict the future based on the past.

"In the past, it caused them to rededicate themselves to winning," Miho said, "which largely amounted to redoubling their efforts and cracking down on those who were complacent or less talented. Perhaps they would reconsider some aspects of how they sought to achieve victories, but winning the tournament year after year still remained their final goal. But it seems likely that the fears of some in Black Forest are coming true, and that it is no longer the invincible champion. Now that it has come to that, I can only guess what will happen next."

The group decided to drop the subject of Black Forest. They had more immediate concerns than what would become of their defeated rival, as they now had to defeat the school that had just triumphed. Black Forest now had the same concerns as the other defeated schools- to think about the future and how they could improve themselves.

But how would a school that had been virtually undefeated until recently deal with their third consecutive defeat? And what further improvement could a school with a tankery team built around perfectionist ideals seek for itself?

* * *

The day after the loss, Erika, wearing her school uniform, reported in to Takako's office. A sense of dread washed over her as she knocked on the door, but it largely faded away when she heard a somewhat stern, yet calm, "Come in" from inside, and Erika opened the door.

Takako was hardly angry, contrary to what Erika had expected, but she seemed quite somber. She wore the same dark suit that she wore to her old teacher Hotaru's funeral, and while dark colors were common choices for the faculty at Black Forest, Erika briefly wondered whether Takako was in mourning.

"Good to see you, Itsumi," the coach said. "Have a seat."

"Yes, Coach," Erika said as she complied, pulling up a chair in front of Takako's desk. The movement was second nature to her; Erika had been into Takako's office more times than most tankers who were in good standing with the team, even if the circumstances for this visit were unusual.

A moment of silence passed as Erika wondered where the coach would start. The oddly somber and resigned demeanor that Takako displayed meant that the obvious answer-berating Erika for her failure- was out of the question.

"Itsumi, do you know why you were appointed vice-captain two years ago?" Takako said.

After a taking a moment to process her being asked a question at the start, Erika respectfully nodded.

"Yes, ma'am," Erika said. "Instructor Nishizumi wanted to make sure that there was someone she trusted to head the team, the Nishizumi way, and so she asked the former commander to choose me."

Takako nodded. She disagreed with her former teacher on many regards, but agreed with Shiho's recommending Erika, as well as the reasons behind it.

"Correct," Takako said. "That reasoning was in play when I chose to appoint you commander as well. You were the only member of the team with a background from the Nishizumi school, and the only holdover from command last year. As such, you seemed like the most reliable choice, especially considering our need to win yet again... but in spite of our best-laid plans, we were defeated yeat again."

Erika hung her head slightly. She was considering apologizing for disappointing Takako, but Takako saw apologies as largely shallow and meaningless gestures. To Takako, apologizing made little difference in the face of mistakes that had very real consequences, and there was little that was more severe than tarnishing Black Forest's reputation by losing.

"This is the third year in a row that Black Forest has failed to take the championship," Takako said, "as well as the first in over two decades in which it has been defeated before the finals. When failures happen, Black Forest tends to... take actions to make sure that it doesn't happen again. Over a decade ago, when I was in high school, one of my predecessors was essentially forced out after we lost. Not much happened to the commander at the time, although the defeat remains a black mark on her record."

"So, Coach, are you saying...?" Erika began, albeit while having difficulty articulating her thoughts out loud.

As Erika fell silent, Takako grimly nodded.

"You led according to the Nishizumi way, Itsumi," Takako said. "And that may be the problem, or at least what people will believe is the problem. You'll probably escape the worst of it, since you're on the way out already, but Black Forest will likely come to reject the Nishizumi teachings, especially now that the school has a new headmistress."

"That's what I thought," Erika said, "and that's what I hoped _would not_ happen. But the year isn't over and neither is my tenure as commander. So what do we do now?"

Takako sighed.

"Not much, unfortunately," Takako said. "Winning the tournament was going to be our way of compensating for recent events, but that's no longer an option. The defeat is high-profile enough that if we filled the rest of the year with exhibition matches against strong schools and won every one, it wouldn't be enough to offset it."

"But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try, shouldn't we?" Erika said.

"That's correct," Takako said, "and I will discuss our plans in more detail. However, I did come to give you a warning that our reputation has been marred once again, and as there will be difficult times ahead, you will need to prepare yourself for them."

"Yes, ma'am," Erika said.

"That's good," Takako said. "You are dismissed for now; I will meet with you again soon to discuss this further."

Erika nodded and started to get up to leave.

"One more thing, Itsumi," Takako said, as Erika reached the door. "I may have studied at the Nishizumi school, but I don't follow the Nishizumi way in all aspects of my coaching."

"I'm aware, Coach," Erika said. "But if I may ask, what are you getting at?"

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't be obsessed with perfectly emulating those you admire or unerringly following an ideal," Takako said. "Of course, you're not infallible, either, and you should own up to your mistakes. The fact is that a good portion of the blame for losing the battle lies with you, but I believe that you have room to grow. Don't give up on tankery or on trying to improve yourself, and you'll get quite far."

"Yes, ma'am," Erika said.

Erika knew that this was not the only time she would be called to explain herself after a failure of this nature. But while the days ahead would be quite difficult for her, Erika had an idea of how to proceed in the future, and a mindset to use to ensure that she would never be defeated in such a way again.

* * *

When she got back to her apartment, Erika opened up her cell phone and saw she had a voice mail from Maho.

"Hello, Erika, this is Maho. I saw the match in its entirety. If you'd like to talk, give me a call when you can. Goodbye."

Erika took her phone out and dialed Maho's number.

"Hello, this is Maho," Maho said.

"Assistant Instructor, this is Erika," Erika said. "I got your message and would like to hear your thoughts on the match."

"Ah, yes," Maho said. "To be honest, Erika, even if you had won, I would likely end up hoping that Miho would win in the finals. Of course, now that Kinue has won, I also hope Miho will win against her."

"I'm not surprised," Erika said. "I do know that you care for Miho a great deal, even if you had to keep up your professional facade. As such, I kept some of my... less kind... opinions about her to myself."

"Such as?" Maho said expectantly. While she was aware she would not like what Erika had to say, she recognized that Erika was confiding in her, and so strove to refrain from judging her.

"I viewed her decisions at the end of our first year as a betrayal of our school," Erika said, "more leaving our school behind in a difficult time than her costing us the win, although I ultimately concluded that we didn't need her if her resolve was so weak. But also, I was somewhat jealous of her, mainly that a 'failure' like her held importance to you that a supposedly 'perfect' Nishizumi disciple like me never would."

"Well, Miho is my _sister_," Maho said, "someone who has been close to me my entire life, and has known both my public and private selves well. There really is no way for anyone else who knows me, even some of my closer friends, to compare to that. But I will say that some come closer than others, and you're already closer than most."

"What do you mean?" Erika said.

"Most people aren't this honest around me," Maho said. "Just as I put on a facade for the sake of upholding the Nishizumi school's reputation and retaining the confidence of those I lead, others are forced to be mindful of how they act, whether out of professionalism or winning my favor. In that sense, telling me so much about yourself can be considered a potentially risky gesture of trust, and it's one that I appreciate."

"I see," Erika said. "I have to go for now, Assistant Instructor, although I will have to think about what you said."

"Maho, please," Maho said. "What I said is not as heiress to the Nishizumi school, ex-commander of Black Forest, or a supposedly ideal Nishizumi, but perhaps, as a friend."

"Very well, Maho," Erika said. "I will speak with you later. Good luck with your match."

As she hung up, Erika found herself wondering what might have been. The unthinkable had happened; she had come to an almost undefeatable high school, and failed to win a single championship in three years, like many of those her school had easily crushed. This turn of events was utterly humiliating when she thought about it that way.

But at the same time, Erika had to wonder about herself. Would she have been challenged as much as she was if she had not been defeated so often? Perhaps she would have gone on thinking herself and the Nishizumi school superior to all others, all while failing to confront her own weaknesses.

Erika was starting to realize that she would always have room to improve, that she should never stop trying to perfect herself. Perhaps this was what it truly meant to be a Nishizumi style practitioner. Perhaps this was what was necessary to win in tankery.

* * *

On the same day as Erika's meeting with Takako, Kinue met with Anastasia in Pravda's dining hall. While she had spent her first two years at Pravda eating with her sister and her cousin, now that the two of them had graduated, she started to spend time with some of her friends at or her below her year, including her vice-captain. Anastasia had initially viewed it as a great honor to eat with the commander, but soon came to see it as eating with a friend, becoming accustomed to it without taking it for granted.

"So your sister's match is tomorrow," Anastasia said. "Some of the team and I are going to watch it in the auditorium. Are you going with your family?"

Kinue nodded. Hiroe's reaching the finals of the tournament got a large amount of attention from her school, and they hosted an event to show the live coverage of the final match.

"That's right," Kinue said. "If she wins, she'll have won her first championship on the university level. That's all the more reason for me to root for her, and hope she succeeds."

"But that's not all there is to that match, is it?" Anastasia said?

"Not at all," Kinue said. "I do want my sister to win, but on the other hand, I sometimes worry that if she does, it will signify that she's already gotten that much further ahead of me. I'm no longer content to simply follow in her footsteps- I'd like to stand alongside her and have her acknowledge me as an equal, but while I've made progress, my goal has become more difficult to reach."

Anastasia took a moment to ponder what Kinue had to say.

"I may not know your sister well, but I don't think that she'd want you to think that way," Anastasia said. "We've never really talked much, but when we do, it's often about you, and her hopes for you to succeed on your own terms. She's all for setting the bar high through her own efforts and seeing what others can do, so I think the same goes for her own sister. I think she hopes that you reach for greater heights along with her, not to leave you in the dust."

Kinue nodded, reminded of what she knew to be true by a person who had relatively few connections with her sister, and thus fewer influences that could distort her thinking. The simple truth of the matter was that she loved and looked up to her sister, and hoped to become someone whom her sister could see as a reliable ally and an equal in tankery.

_"I've come a long way over the last year, Onee-chan," _Kinue thought. _"May we both win the finals this year."_

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

Thank you for the reviews.

To some degree, the impact this defeat will have on the Nishizumis will only be seen in years to come, although it will be touched upon throughout the finals.

This chapter, along with the next, sets the stage for the finals, and the last tankery battle of this series.

Edited because I accidentally put up the wrong chapter number.


	36. Overthrowing a Champion

**Chapter 27: Overthrowing A Champion**

Elsewhere, the finals of the Japanese university level tankery tournament raged on in an urban battlefield. Maho's Rhineland University faced off against Hiroe's Romanov University; the contestants were almost evenly matched, and both had suffered many casualties and had a few brushes with defeat.

Maho, in the flag tank, a Tiger I, pursued Hiroe's flag tank through the streets. Hiroe's school had put up stiff resistance, launching ambushes and whittling down her forces. She had led according to the Nishizumi style, trying to keep her forces together, but keeping it up was difficult in the face of the chaos on the battlefield.

In spite of that, Maho fell back on the Nishizumi style, the style she had been taught since she was young, and she was expectd to practice as the heiress to the family school. It came somewhat naturally to her, and she knew that to some degree, her mother felt the same way.

Maho prepared to take Hiroe's tank in her sights as she closed in. The battle ultimately came down to crew skill, and Maho was confident in her skill and that of her crew. What was she, if not a tanker? Her crew had taken her this far, and she was confident that they would be able to do whatever she asked of them.

Suddenly, a well-placed hit from a KV-2 struck Maho's tank in the side. Hiroe had, through effective maneuvering, kept Maho on her toes, enabling the KV-2 under Hiroko's command to snipe her while she was preoccupied, unable to take her attention off the tank she needed to defeat to win, and could defeat her.

"Romanov University wins the tournament!" the announcer said.

Maho let off a sigh. This was the third time she had lost in as many years, so she was becoming used to the sensation of losing. A part of her wondered if the Nishizumis had aimed too high all along, expecting what was extraordinary for most people as a matter of course.

But unreasonable or not, she had fallen short of what was expected of her once again, and could only hope that the repercussions facing her and her team would not be too severe.

* * *

Inside the KV-2 that fired the winning shot, the crew, composed of the four members of Hiroko's crew from last year and a fellow freshman that they had befriended, celebrated.

"Did you see that, Toki?" Ryuuka said. "We won the tournament!"

"Obviously," Toki said with a satisfied smile on her face. "There may have been only a temporary vacancy for a loader, but I'm glad you were able to fill it this time."

Ryuuka nodded. Much to her surprise, it had been her turn to serve as a benchwarmer, due to a surplus of talented and experienced loaders at the school. But as luck would have it, Hiroko's loader had fallen ill on the day of the finals, and Ryuuka was able to fill her spot.

"It most likely won't be temporary after all," Hiroko said. "Some of our people are graduating and after this, I think Hiroe will be certainly willing to have Ryuuka be our loader full time."

Sera let out a loud cheer, releasing all the pent up energy she had. There was little that made her happier than sharing the victory with some of her oldest friends, and her fellow students.

* * *

The two sides came together at the end of the match, and exchanged bows.

"You did quite well this time, Hiroe," Maho said, as she extended her hand for a handshake. "I really can't make any excuses, so if you need proof that you could have won two years ago, here it is."

"Thanks," Hiroe said, taking Maho's hand and shaking it. "I wasn't entirely sure that last plan of mine would work, but if anyone could make it work, _I_ could."

Hiroe looked at Maho, seeing the faintest hint of discomfort on her stoic visage. Since Maho was largely understated when it came to her emotions, a small sign of vulnerability was indicative of severe distress.

As the two sides' subordinates left, Hiroe and Hiroko stayed behind to talk with Maho, with one of their teammates standing some distance away.

"Is something wrong, Maho?" Hiroe said. "Do you think Miho's going to get into trouble again as a result of you losing? Is she going to be expected to defeat Kinue in the Nishizumi school's name, or maybe become heiress instead of you?"

"That's not it," Maho said. "Mother has essentially given up on trying to make Miho her heiress, or to make her conform to our family's ideology. In that regard, at least, I've succeeded."

Hiroko nodded and considered what Maho had said for a moment. She was an only child, and she had sometimes taken for granted her aunt allowing Hiroe and Kinue to choose their own paths in life, but she understood what Maho was trying to accomplish. Hiroko was thus glad Maho had succeeded, but curious as to why she seemed less than fully satisfied.

"But that isn't enough for you?" Hiroko said.

"Not anymore," Maho said with a shake of her head. "The fact that Miho is happy and able to do tankery her own way is reason enough for me to stay the course, but is it all I can accomplish as Nishizumi heiress? I feel as though I've invested too much of my life in this pursuit to not find out."

Hiroe paused, to consider Maho's words. She, too, had always considered tankery a large part of her life, and hoped to succeed her mother, but it had never been all there was to her family. Her mother had told her that if she failed to meet her expectations as a teacher, she would merely be fired, not disowned, and could seek another path in life with her mother's guidance and support. That had not happened, as Hiroe had excelled at teaching, so Hiroe had little idea of what advice to give Maho.

"And then what do you plan to do?" Hiroe said. "Have you gotten any ideas since we last talked?"

"I'm still not sure yet," Maho said. "I believe the Nishizumi school should be more open to change, more inclusive and about more than just winning. For the longest time, a lingering doubt in my mind has been whether it's right to fight in the name of the Nishizumi school, and enable it as it is now, even if it's for Miho's sake, but recently, I've started to realize that it can possibly be changed. Unfortunately,I'm not sure how I can go about enacting that change."

Hiroko let off a sigh. She knew that at this point, what she had to say would not likely be a pleasant appraisal of Maho's efforts, but believed Maho had to hear it if she intended to succeed.

"Well, I will be blunt, Maho," Hiroko said. "You do have a long way to go if what you just said is the extent of your current progress. It's just like how Aunt Masae was far from being able to establish her school when she left Black Forest, and probably a bit like Miho, as well, when she learned of the incident in your match with the German school."

Maho nodded. Hiroko's willingness to speak her mind, and skill at logical analysis were why Hiroe considered her the ideal second in command, and why Maho appreciated what she had to say.

"Yeah, it reminds me of something Mom said," Hiroe said. "She once told us that there are four steps to solving a problem- identifying the problem, resolving to do something about it, finding the solution and solving it; the latter two steps are by far the most difficult. But like her, you've made the first step; you know what you want and why you want it, even if you don't know how you can get it. The road will be long, like Hiroko said, but I believe you'll be able to reach the end, as your friend."

"So do I," Hiroko said.

"Thank you, Hiroe, Hiroko," Maho said. "I'll do what I can."

"Oh, and..." Hiroe said, gesturing to Toyone, who stood off to the side, "I've got a fan who'd really like your autograph."

"Really?" Maho said. Glancing behind Hiroe, she noticed, for the first time, an exceptionally tall young woman with long dark hair and a wide-brimmed hat. Toyone had been trying not to eavesdrop, and believed that since she understood little of the conversation, she would soon be able to forget it.

"Well, if it's not too much trouble," Toyone said, blushing and seeming unusually shy. "Since I was young, I lived in a fairly remote area, and went to a middle school that didn't do tankery, I've always been fond of tankery 'idols' who are good at the game. I've heard a lot of the big names, but tend to judge for myself based on what I see. You're one of the few who can give the Commander such a difficult fight."

Toyone produced her poster board and Maho signed it without hesitation, repaying Toyone's honest sentiment with one of her own.

_"To Anetai Toyone, a true fan and fellow tanker."_

_-Nishizumi Maho._

* * *

As the teams went their separate ways after the closing ceremonies, Masae, along with the other Atagos who were watching, walked over to congratulate Hiroe and Hiroko.

"Way to go, Onee-chan, Hiroko!" Kinue said.

"Congratulations, Hiroe, Hiroko," Masae said, her face beaming. "I'm quite proud of the two of you and your teammates."

"As are we," Masaru and Masaki said.

"Thanks, Kinue, Mom, Dad, Aunt Masaki" Hiroe said. "I feel as though I actually did it this time, my way. Isn't it a bit like how you won the first time on your own in university, Mom?"

"I did," Masae said, "since Instructor Nishizumi- then an assistant instructor, was taking a sabbatical from tankery to help out at her mother's school. Still, as I told you before, Hiroe, Hiroko, I think that you're in a good place now for several reasons, not just because you happened to win."

Masae believed university was good for Hiroe, to give her some more tankery experience, learn about running a school and being a teacher, and take a few other electives of her own. It would also give Hiroe and Hiroko one last chance to do tankery together before Hiroko's path diverged, with her working toward her goal of becoming a scientist.

However, the question remained of what path Kinue would walk. From a relatively young age, she hoped to become a teacher of some sort, although she was unsure of what subject. In recent years, tankery had become a possibility, and Masae had sat down with Kinue to explain what would be expected of her. Kinue accepted- and welcomed- the idea of being treated like all of Masae's other subordinates. In spite of that, she still found the standards slightly intimidating, and wondered if she could perform on par with her sister.

"Is something wrong, Kinue?" Hiroko said.

"It's nothing, Hiroko," Kinue said. "I'm genuinely happy for you, my sister, and everyone else, but I can't help but think about whether I can accomplish the same thing."

Hiroe and Hiroko looked at each other a moment, as they pondered how to answer their sister and cousin's question.

"Well, I won't lie to you," Hiroko said, "in spite of her disadvantages, Miho will be a difficult opponent to defeat. This isn't to say that you can't, but she defeated Black Forest, too."

"That's true," Kinue said. "Victory may not be guaranteed, but it's something I owe to my school, and something I want to accomplish for myself, especially after you and my sister did it."

Hiroe nodded.

"I know where you're coming from, Kinue," Hiroe said, "but how many times did I lose before I accomplished this?" As Hiroe subconsciously held up all the fingers of her right hand, Kinue remained silent. "I may be rooting for you in the finals, but it isn't my intention to set the bar too high for you by winning."

"I know, Onee-chan," Kinue said. "But at the same time, I feel as though I've been following in your footsteps for a long time, constantly worrying about how I could be of use to you or contribute toward your goals. Now, this is something I'd like to do for my own sake and that of my friends. You inspired me to get on this path, and it's my decision to walk it to the end."

Masae nodded in approval, as did her sister. Kinue was a far cry from her aunt in terms of personality, tankery skill and career aspirations, but Masaki still identified with her, and was pleased to see that her advice, given from understanding Kinue's point of view, had proven useful.

"So this is your answer, Kinue," Masaki said. "Know that however the final battle goes, that realization, in and of itself, is a triumph."

* * *

Maho met with Shiho at the dock after the match. Shiho silently stared off into the distance at the sea, only turning around when she heard Maho approach.

"Mother?" Maho said. "I accept full responsibility for the outcome of the match, and make no excuses for my mistakes."

Shiho sighed and Maho, for the first time since approaching her, truly noticed her mother's expression. The stern and authoritative expression was gone, replaced by a subdued and almost sad expression, similar to the one she had when she witnessed Erika and Black Forest's defeat not long ago. At this point, it seemed unlikely that she was in any mood to scold Maho.

"Just what would you consider mistakes, Maho?" Shiho said. "The decisions you made in that match were ones that a Nishizumi style practitioner would naturally be expected to make... and perhaps that would be the problem."

"Perhaps so, Mother," Maho said, knowing that the course of the conversation had gone too far outside her expectations for her to know what her mother would want to hear. "Hiroe was able to see through my moves at almost every point, having faced me for years, and has spent all those years refining and improving her strategies and other techniques."

Shiho paused to think about what she had just heard. As unwilling as she was to admit that someone else had surpassed her, Hiroe had done what she had failed to do, having been forced to improve as a result of failing. Perhaps, in that regard, she was wiser than Shiho.

"For too long, I've found it difficult to admit that what I was doing was not necessarily right," Shiho said. "Part of the reason was that I had believed that if I did so, it would invalidate all the sacrifices I, as well as those who had come before me, had made in the name of our school. Another part was that blaming others- Miho, the crew of the tank, all manner of other individuals- was easier than admitting my own fault, and that it was easier to ascribe misfortune to bad luck than to find the cause."

Maho nodded. As someone who also held authority over others, she understood the former point, and the latter point was basic psychology.

"And what about you, Maho?" Shiho said. "What are your feelings on this?"

"It's hard to say," Maho said. "Hiroe and Hiroko are my friends, so I'm happy for them on a personal level. However, on another level, while I originally became heiress because you expected me to do so, and so that Miho would not have to, I did make the choice to try hard and strive for victory. For Miho's sake, as well as for the sake of those I command and teach, I honestly do my best, and hope to learn from this."

Shiho nodded. She had some idea that Maho did not necessarily work this hard out of blind adherence to the Nishizumi style, but largely considered it irrelevant. This time, however, Maho's motivation would be her source of drive in this difficult time, and if it was something she decided for herself, perhaps it would enable her to succeed.

"That's a good perspective," Shiho said. "You have been challenged in many ways that I was not, so perhaps that mindset, and a willingness to accept change, will be what we need to re-establish our family's school as the best in the nation."

Maho nodded, somewhat relieved. Her mother's priorities still remained the same, but it seemed as though she was becoming more flexible about how she could achieve them. If this was the case, then perhaps Miho had more of a place in the family than before, maybe even as an agent of change.

* * *

On her way back to her school ship, Maho's cell phone rang, and she saw that the caller ID listed Miho as the caller. Maho stepped onto the deck of the boat and took the call.

"Hello, this is Maho," Maho said.

"Hello, Onee-chan, this is Miho," Miho said. "I'm sorry to hear about your defeat."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Miho," Maho said. "That said, Romanov, especially Hiroe and Hiroko, fought well, so it was easy to accept."

"Incidentally, how's Mother taking it?" Miho said.

"Better than might be expected," Maho said. "Rather than scapegoating anyone, she's started to realize that there are flaws in the Nishizumi style that cannot so easily be dismissed. Perhaps if you succeeding where Erika failed, it will be the final proof she needs to reconsider her ways."

Miho paused, briefly overwhelmed by what she was hearing. For the longest time, she felt unable to question, much less disagree with her mother, lacking the knowledge of or skill in tankery to disprove the top school in the nation. But this time, she had a chance to prove her own way of tankery's worth through her own actions, as she had in the previous finals against Maho herself.

"I'll do what I can," Miho said.

"I know you can, Miho," Maho said with a smile. Having made a choice that would give Miho the freedom to choose her own path in life, Maho had always believed that Miho could do that herself.

Miho and Maho said goodbye. Each had their own challenges in the coming days and weeks, and each had their own strategies for handling it.

Miho called Hiroe, and, getting her voicemail, left a message offering her congratulations and hoping to talk to her later. Evidently, Hiroe was celebrating with her friends, and while Miho counted herself among that number, she did not wish to interrupt Romanov's happy moment.

Of course, Miho suspected that, even in victory, Hiroe was thinking ahead to her own sister's upcoming match, and hoping that she would succeed as well. Having recently talked with Emi, Miho had learned that in the wake of Emi's own match with Rinkai, she had eagerly anticipated Oarai defeating Koala Forest, while also preparing to fight whoever won. Some of Miho's friends from other schools were also her rivals, who hoped to defeat her even as they congratulated her for her victories.

So Miho chose to respond in kind, and got out information on Pravda's tank lineup and past matches. Having prepared for Pravda in her first and only year at Black Forest, she was well acquainted with how they fought. Her countermeasures would be different considering Oarai's smaller team and less powerful tanks, but she felt confident she knew her opponent.

The only piece of information that was missing was where the battle would take place. The arena was decided by roulette days in advance, and could determine which side had the advantage. Miho thus hoped it would be a battlefield that would be suited to Oarai, as they needed every advantage they could get in order to defeat their much more powerful opponent.

* * *

Kinue returned to school and met with Anastasia over lunch, speaking with her for the first time since her sister's match.

"I'd like to congratulate your sister and cousin on winning the tournament, Comrade Commander," Anastasia said shortly after they had sat down and started to eat.

"Thank you, Anastasia-chan," Kinue said. "Of course, for us, the most important and difficult match lies ahead."

Kinue nodded.

"True," Kinue said, "We're better armed than most of our opponents, which is why winning against Black Forest is such an accomplishment for us. But for Oarai, winning against Black Forest is nothing short of a miracle, and few schools have ever gone as far as they have with the tanks at their disposal."

"That may be so," Anastasia said, "but part of the reasons why miracles are looked upon with awe is that they're highly unusual. If we play well and don't lose our heads, the odds will be in our favor when we face Oarai."

"I suppose so," Kinue said. "As such, we had best get started working on our plan to face Oarai. Do you have the information I need?"

"да, Comrade Commander," Anastasia said. "The battlefield has been selected. I brought you a printout of the relevant information, and I also made certain to forward a copy to our student council."

"Thank you," Kinue said appreciatively, in Japanese. While Pravda was modeled after Russia under Stalin's leadership in World War II, it, like Oarai, was largely run by its democratically elected student council. Kinue thus had to get their permission to move the ship to the site of the match for the day of the match, even if they were extremely unlikely to pass up the finals, and a shot at winning the tankery tournament.

Kinue scanned the document and, seeing which battlefield had been chosen, wondered if it was mere chance or perhaps fate that this place would be the place where Miho faced Pravda again.

_"I wonder how Miho-chan feels about this...?" _Kinue thought.

* * *

Miho reported in to the student council office before tankery practice on the same day Kinue received her information. While Miho was also expecting to receive word about the site of the finals, she found this somewhat unusual. Normally, she was informed of the information at tankery practice.

"You wanted to see me, President?" Miho said.

"Yes, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said, "it's about the finals. We received word about where the final match will be located. Ordinarily, we were planning on saving this for the strategy meeting, but..." Shizuru passed the printout across the desk. "Here, take a look for yourself."

Miho looked at the printout and read it over, immediately noticing the arena location.

"The same place as two years ago..." Miho said, almost breathlessly, as memories of her rescuing the tank at the cost of winning the tournament flooded into her mind.

"We at the Student Council 'do our homework,' so to speak," Shizuru said, "both literally and figuratively. While we were researching Pravda, we naturally delved into the time they won the tournament, as well as the incident in the finals. As such, we have some idea of what the significance of this battlefield and that day two years ago are for you."

Shizuru paused, causing Miho to wonder what the point of this conversation was.

"So you understand that much," Miho said. "But what more do you want to know?"

"What we don't know... " Shizuru said, as she continued speaking, "is whether you believe you're ready to fight there again, even considering what happened."

After taking a moment to compose herself, Miho gave a stoic nod.

"I am, for two reasons" Miho said decisively. "First, the only times the battlefields for tankery matches are changed is if they're, for some reason, unusable, and most of the time, the matches are rescheduled instead. So, if you're asking whether we can do anything about it, the answer is no; the only things left to us are fighting there and winning."

"Well said, Nishizumi-san," Ayano said, pleased at how Miho seemed to be speaking her language and thinking of practical implications.

"And second," Miho said. "I am prepared to go back, to fight in that place one more time, and succeed where I failed. This time, I will win for the sake of our school, without sacrificing or risking any of you."

"Very good," Shizuru said. "And I would like to let you know, Nishizumi-san, that, if you ended up making the same decision as two years ago, we would support you. We, relative outsiders and newcomers to the field of tankery, do not share the same standards as your family's school. From the perspective of the student council, any students coming to harm would be disastrous for the tankery team. From our perspectives as your subordinates and teammates, Commander, we have no desire to see our friends and comrades hurt."

"Thank you," Miho said.

"I will say that I do have some idea why your mother asks a great deal of you and your sister, and her determination to uphold the Nishizumi name," Shizuru continued. "But at the same time, I do not believe that how far she goes or what she does for that sake is correct. You are a very different kind of leader, Nishizumi-san, one more suited for a place like Oarai."

As Miho nodded appreciatively, Shiina could not help but laugh, causing Miho and the rest of the student council to turn to her.

"Is something funny, Vice-President?" Shizuru said.

"Nothing, President," Shiina said. "I just find it somewhat amusing that you're talking about Miho's family issues while you've been referring to her by her family name the entire conversation."

"It's a matter of propriety and politeness," Shizuru said. "I do recall you calling me 'Mikado-san' when you don't refer to me by my title."

"I suppose so," Shiina said. "But I don't quite know what the Mikado family is all about, unlike the Nishizumi family. Your dad had his influence on you, but he didn't raise you to be like him the same way Miho's mom did."

"That's true," Shizuru said. She loved and respected her mother, but she saw her path as one she could not necessarily follow. She intended to go into politics, a line of work entirely different fro that of her father, and thus saw the Nishizumis as entirely different from her family.

"It's fine," Miho said. "If you'd like, you can refer to me by my first name, like Shiina-san and Natsumi-san do."

"Very good, Miho," Shizuru said. "Feel free to do the same, as long as I'm not on Student Council business."

Miho nodded appreciatively. Her relationship with the Mikado administration had been different from the Kadotani administration in many ways, but she recognized that deep down, they were ultimately human, and they cared for Oarai Academy and the students going to school in it. That goal was one Miho agreed with, even if it was not in the scope of her duties.

So long as Oarai had people willing to do what was best for those who lived, worked and went to school there, the future remained bright.

* * *

Just before the start of practice, Miho and Nodoka held a brief meeting in the tankery garage.

"So the finals are tomorrow," Nodoka said. "We should probably let practice end early today, so that our members can relax and prepare, which is more important than a small amount of last-minute training."

"That's true," Miho said. "It seems as though our situation has not changed at all lately. The new members still aren't quite where we need them to be, and we don't have any tanks, either."

"I suppose that can't be helped," Nodoka said. "At my old middle school, things stayed the same way for a long time. It wasn't in danger of being shut down, but no one was particularly interested in buying us new equipment, and we couldn't just find it lying around the ship. Even considering Hisa-senpai learned about all the tanks they couldn't sell, we were extraordinarily lucky to find so many last year."

"That may be true, but our victory wasn't entirely about luck, Nodoka-san," Miho said. "You and I, along with everyone else, did the best with what we had. Those who had no experience had to learn quickly, while those with experience often had to think outside of what they were used to."

"I agree," Nodoka said, "since I am generally hesitant to attribute my victories to luck. I suppose I'm trying to say that Oarai is in some ways better off than my old school, along with many others that tried to achieve what our school has."

Miho nodded.

"Not everyone can achieve what we have," Miho said. "But I believe that by working together, an unlikely school can accomplish great things."

Nodoka smiled. In the past, she had often been critical of others' shortcomings, particularly when they did not possess her talent or determination. But while she strove to help others better themselves, she also respected their willingness to do so, and saw them as part of a team. For their sake, she resolved to do her best in the final match, and when she assumed command of the team.

* * *

That evening, Duck Team, along with the members of the volleyball team who were not participating in tankery, met in the gymnasium to do some volleyball practice. But as Noriko and the rest of Duck Team entered, they saw the new recruits waiting for them, and one girl, clad in the same Oarai PE uniform that the others wore, stepped out of the group to address her.

"Captain Isobe, Sasaki-senpai, Kondou-senpai, Kawanishi-senpai," one first-year who had signed up for the tankery team after the match with Koala Forest but failed to get in, said. "On behalf of the entire team, I'd like to wish you luck in the finals."

The girl handed Noriko a card that was signed by all the members of the team. Noriko opened it, smiled, and passed it to Akebi.

"Thanks," Noriko said. "It's always nice to know that we have your support."

"It's the least we can do," the girl said. "For almost two years, the team has persisted, its members supporting one another and the captain holding the team together. If we're going to get ourselves started again, or do well after that, we'll have to keep that in mind."

"That's true," Noriko said. "Nishizumi-san's a talented commander, but she couldn't have done this without her subordinates any more than I could have managed in tankery or volleyball without Akebi, Taeko and Shinobu."

"I appreciate hearing you say that, Captain," Shinobu said. "And I believe the same goes for the school as a whole. We kept going because people cared enough about it to make sacrifices. The student council may be among those students, but they're not the only ones"

"Yeah," Taeko said. "You'll be leaving next year, Captain, so it'll fall on the rest of us to ensure that the team, such as it is, stays together."

"I know," Noriko said. "But I'm fairly optimistic about it. First, I actually have on relatively good authority that they might be able to get us going again next year. Second, I can count on all of you."

"That's good to hear," Akebi said. "We won't let you down."

* * *

Sparrow Team went out to greet two alumni who were dropping by the ship to visit for the finals. The remaining and new members of the club found the two recent graduates standing at the bus stop nearest to the school, waiting for them.

Yumi wore a white dress, while Satomi wore a white shirt and a pair of blue work pants. The two's paths had taken them different places- Yumi went on to university, and was a new member of the school's mahjong club, while Satomi had failed her entrance exams and worked for her parents' business.

When the younger members were told of where the graduates had ended up, they appeared to pity Satomi, but Kaori mentioned that Satomi was happy, and, over the course of the year, would reconsider her options. Momo had mentioned that Yumi was the more conflicted, harboring some lingering regrets about giving up tankery despite enjoying and doing well in her time at her school's mahjong club.

"I'm glad to see you all here," Yumi said as she looked over the group of three that had arrived. "But where's Momo?"

"Here~su!" Momo said, leaping toward Yumi and giving her a hug.

"Ah, right..." Yumi said, blushing slightly. She sometimes wondered if Momo's lack of inhibitions toward such public displays of affection was casued by her lack of presence. "Now that I think about it, though, we seem to be missing the new first-years."

"They're with Octopus Team," Anko said. "Apparently, Maho and Hiroko go back some ways with Haramura-san and Kataoka-san."

"That's understandable," Satomi said. "Is it as far back as I go with Kaori, or more like I go with Yumi-chin?"

Anko shrugged.

"I think they said they knew each other in middle school," Anko said. "So it would be the latter?"

"Seems that way," Yumi said. "The two of us will be here for a little while, so we'll pop in to see them."

Yumi turned to Mutsuki, hoping to address something she had long hoped to discuss with her former subordinate- and now successor. While Yumi was not the president of the mahjong club- Satomi was- she was acknowledged as the leader of the club, as the person who kept the club organized, was the best player and held the remnants of the club together after it was dissolved and the title of president lost all meaning.

"I've heard a little bit from Momo about how you've been doing as a president and tank commander, Tsuyama," Yumi said. "And while I'm a bit touched that you put me on a pedestal, I don't think it's the entire truth."

"What do you mean, Kajiki-senpai?" Yumi said.

"I started out as a beginner, both in mahjong and in tankery," Yumi said. "Only after multiple defeats and a great deal of hard work was I able to become anything more than that, and be of use to my teammates and friends."

"That may be so," Mutsuki said. "But you realize that not everyone has been able to get as far as we have this year."

"I know," Yumi said. "But you should never stop trying, and never let go to the faint hope that you might be the one who triumphs against all odds. That doesn't always lead to victory, but every effort worth remembering has been undertaken with that sort of spirit."

Mutsuki nodded. She had always known that, even in the best of times, the mahjong club had never been able to put up much of a showing in competitions with other schools, and was content with that. Even now, as Oarai faced their most difficult opponent this year in the tournament finals, Mutsuki was simply grateful to be included in the team's efforts, and sought to repay them by doing her best and not allowing her worry about how good her "best" was compared to her predecessor or colleagues to hold her back.

* * *

Anteater Team and Turtle Team had dinner together. Shiina, unable to decide between whether to spend the evening before the finals with Anteater or Turtle Team, had proposed that they do it together. Shizuru had accepted, hoping to meet Shiina's friends outside of their work for the tankery team.

"So, how's everyone here doing?" Shiina said, as the conversation shifted to their personal lives.

"I can't help but be a little nervous," Momogawa said. "Last year, we were taken out almost instantly in the finals. It was fun just to participate, but I'd like to do better this time, both for the sake of my own enjoyment and as my duty to the team."

"I know where you're coming from, Momogawa," Shiina said. "I've got a friend on Ancient Legacy Online who plays a warrior, and is one of the weaker damage dealers in the guild. It's not particularly fun being the weak link, especially when our guild master recently told her to find a way to increase her damage output or find a new guild."

"Is it really so unreasonable to expect a certain level of performance from one's teammates?" Ayano said. She had known from the campaign that her colleagues, even the ones she did not know as well, were competent, but she, with the limited information at her disposal, saw room for doubt in the raid leader's mind.

Shiina shrugged.

"Not really," Shiina said. "I get what he's asking of her- of all of us- since we're up to Vulcan the Lava Titan, the second hardest boss in the raid after Pyrrhon, God of Fire. But dual wielding- the only viable DPS build- is a bit tough to master, and..."

Shiina paused, wondering if she was boring her friends yet again. Natsumi played some video games, but had never gotten involved in Ancient Legacy Online, so anything she told her would likely have to be explained to them. Similarly, the others on Anteater Team cared relatively little about the game, having tried it, only to be turned off by the considerable time investment that was required. When she recalled this, she was amazed by how long they had persisted in tankery despite their initial difficulties, as well as how far they had come. Perhaps in a more demanding team, not unlike her guild, they would have been cut before they had a chance to improve, something that was unpleasant for her to imagine.

But before Shiina could get the chance, her thoughts were interrupted as an answer to her question broke the silence.

"Perhaps I could help your friend with that if you're willing hear me out. Hit and Attack Speed are most important for your friend to keep up the Open Wounds debuff that does damage to your enemy over time and comprises a large part of your damage. If she isn't already, she should be using swords or axes for the Slice and Dice talent, which increases damage and bleed effects by 10% for those with bladed weapons. As for her abilities, you'd have to tell me which ones she invested her talent points in, since there are a few viable builds."

Shiina listened to the speaker and nodded. This sounded like good advice to her friend, at least worth a shot.

But she never expected Shizuru to be the one giving it.

"Mikado-san?" Shiina said. "You play Ancient Legacy Online, too?"

"I do," Shizuru said. "The idea of girl gamers shouldn't be that much of a surprise to you, Fujino-san."

"No, but I didn't think a girl like you would be into that," Shiina said. "It does take a lot of time to level up. Nekota, Piyotan and Momogawa, all veteran gamers, were turned off by the level grind."

"I'm fairly good with time management," Shizuru said. "I may be a relatively 'casual' player, but I take my play time seriously, and do work on bettering my ability to play my class, as well as help out those who need it. It's the same for tankery, even if I won't end up doing it for long."

Shiina nodded. This attitude seemed quite like Shizuru, who took everything she did seriously. Perhaps tankery and the student council could be considered somewhere between pleasure and work, as things that she believed were important to do well, but also things she had chosen to take on herself.

"I see," Shiina said. "To be honest, Mikado-san, you're the one who inspired me to work hard at things. I noticed that I started enjoying and doing better at my position, and when I think about it, you're the one who's most inspired me to do so."

"That's good to hear," Shizuru said.

As the meal concluded, Anteater Team asked for a way to get in touch with Shizuru online. Shizuru, complying, told her fellow gamers her character name- Kiyohime, named in honor of the woman in the folktale.

"So I'm going to be calling you 'Kiyohime' in the game, 'President' on duty and 'Mikado-san' off-duty?" Shiina said with an amused chuckle. "It's going to be quite an adjustment."

"I understand," Shizuru said. "But if I may be so bold, _Shiina_, I have one other adjustment I'd like to make to you and _Natsumi_\- the same offer I made to Miho."

Shiina and Natsumi looked at each other. They had spent a long time working with Shizuru, and realized that it had changed over time. What had started out as a way for them to fulfill their separate goals gave way to a sense of camaraderie that eventually blossomed into friendship.

"Not a problem, _Shizuru,"_ Shiina said with a smile.

As she parted ways with the others, Shiina pondered the time she had spent in the student council, which was not at all like how she had originally envisioned. She felt as though she had changed, learned a great deal and, surprisingly enough, had fun in her work.

_"And to think I believed that this would be just another waste of time after school club," _Shiina thought. _"Thanks for goading me to get into this, Mom."_

* * *

Leopon Team did some last-minute work on the tanks, inspecting them to make sure they were in working order. Ordinarily, the need for maintenance would have made a last-minute practice session entirely impractical, but the new Leopon Team had become as able to do repairs on a rush job as their predecessors had, thereby enabling their team to go over the basic skills prior to the match.

Miho, checking on them before leaving with the rest of Anglerfish Team, had asked whether they were fine with doing that, and they had said yes. All of them believed that work was only unpleasant when they did not want to do it, and only stressful when they worried about other things.

The truth was that their opinion about tankery was not the only thing that had changed; their way of thinking had as well. Having become aware of the benefit their work had for the team, they no longer felt as though it was a waste of time. Having come to appreciate the inner workings of tanks, they no longer saw it as orthogonal to

As Miho's own perceptions of tankery had changed over the years, she understood what they had experienced. She was glad to show more people the fun and fulfilling side of tankery, and hoped that, whatever their path would be in life, they would enjoy tankery for years to come and cherish their memories of doing it.

* * *

While the current Mallard Team lacked Sodoko's overzealousness, the three of them were businesslike and serious. It thus naturally followed that even as they ate takeout in Gomoyo's apartment, which had an excellent view of the ocean, the conversation would eventually return to disciplinary committee business.

"How's the search process for your replacement going, Saro?" Gomoyo said.

"I've got some good news and bad news, Gomoyo," Saro said. "The good news is that I've got a few candidates who seem willing and able to do the job. The bad news is that only applies to the disciplinary committee, not tankery. Worse still, I'm unable to fill your and Pazomi's positions, not just the commander position."

Gomoyo sighed, her expression full of disappointment, while Pazomi gave a dejected frown. The three third years had hoped to leave the school with their positions on the disciplinary committee and tankery team filled, and on the latter regard, they were disappointed.

"So there may not be any disciplinary committee members on the team next year," Pazomi said. "Sodoko most likely won't be pleased to hear this."

"I actually talked with Sodoko recently and told her this," Saro said, "not long after Reizei-san got her letter. She said that we, the disciplinary committee, enforce the rules, it's ultimately up to students to be accountable for their own actions, now and in the future. As such, we may no longer need 'representatives' on the team, unless some newcomers want to volunteer."

"That's true," Gomoyo said. "Of course, one would be remiss not to point out that Sodoko enforces the rules quite hard out of the belief that following them forms good habits."

"True," Saro said. "But both she and I have seen individuals come to various epiphanies over the years, learning things that others have tried to show or tell them. In the end, a point being driven home a hundred times is less valuable than a single moment in which you realize what you must learn."

"I suppose I understand what you're saying, Saro," Gomoyo said. "To be honest, you seemed less than enthusiastic about the disciplinary committee in our first year, and now here you are, in our first year. People can change a great deal."

"Indeed, Gomoyo," Saro said. "And that's why I believe that once Nishizumi-san and Haramura-san have moved on, there will be people who will step up to take up their mantles, become the pillars of our team, and lead us to victory once again. I may never meet those individuals, but I'll wish them luck and be grateful for their efforts."

* * *

Hippo Team returned to the bench where they had spent the evening before the finals last year.

"Remember last year?" Caesar said. "We were sitting like this before the finals, not knowing if our school would continue to be open."

"I do," Saemonza said. "Back then, we didn't know we would win, much like Sanada Yukimura didn't know whether he would prevail in the Siege of Osaka Castle."

"And we still don't know whether we'll win the finals," Oryou said. "If we're getting a bit nervous here, imagine how we'd fare in a real battle."

"Soldiers have all sorts of reasons to want to fight, even when they risk their own lives by doing so," Erwin said."Sometimes, it's out of a sense of patriotism or loyalty to the cause. Sometimes it's to ward off a threat, whether avoiding punishment or defeating their country's enemies. Sometimes, it's to earn a reward. Still other times, it's for a sense of a warrior's honor or a soldier's duty, or even the thrill of battle itself."

"What do you think we're fighting for?" Oryou said.

"A bit of this and a bit of that," Erwin said. "Oarai is our school until the end of the year. We'll proudly call it our alma mater, and we want it to be known as a strong school. We also do it because we enjoy tankery, and see a bit of historical re-enactment in it. Apart from all that, it's also something fun to do together."

"True," Caesar said. "But even if we do not end up on opposite sides, like the members of the Triumvirate did, we will be going our separate ways at the end of the year. Rabbit Team will be the only team left completely intact after this year."

"That may be inevitable," Erwin said, "but it hasn't happened yet. Let's make the most of the time we have left."

The others nodded, not willing to contest it. They decided to relax while they could, so they could end the year on a high note. Perhaps history would remember the outcome of the finals more than moments like this, but the latter could still become cherished memories of friendship and camaraderie, so the four girls vowed to remember them.

* * *

Rabbit Team once again settled down for a movie night. They took turns having movie nights at each of their places, and this time, it was Karina's turn. Karina's apartment was relatively small, and decorated with posters and figurines from certain movies.

"Didn't we do this at Yuuki-chan's place this time last year?" Karina said.

"I think so," Yuuki said. "I definitely had all of you over either before or after the finals, since I wasn't sure whether I'd ever get to show you my place."

"Things were really tense back then," Aya said. "We had no idea whether we'd come back to the same school or not this year. Even if things did turn out for the best, we didn't take that for granted."

Saki silently nodded in agreement.

"That may be true, Aya-chan," Ayumi said. "But at the same time, there are those who would, if they knew it was their last day to live, spend the day doing all the things they liked. We spent that day doing what we could because it might be our last chance, and we'll spend the rest of this year and next year doing similar things because we cherish our time."

"In any case, we'll be coming back here next year, and I'm grateful for this," Azusa said. "I wonder whose turn it will be at that time."

The others let the conversation drop as they started up the DVD. They knew that while they could not predict the result of the next day's match, much less what would happen a year into the future, they were glad that they could count on Oarai still being around the following year. They, along with the three younger members of Duck Team, Nodoka, Saki, Yuuki and Momo, would be the last remaining members of the original team, but they hoped the team would continue to remain true to itself, and that its members would continue to improve themselves and enjoy tankery..

* * *

Octopus Team, along with Maho and Hiroko, had dinner out at a family restaurant, one that they had eaten at before. It was one of Yuuki's favorites, since tacos were on the menu, and one waitress knew that she ordered them every time..

"This place looks a bit different from when we were here last year," Saki said.

"It is," Nodoka said. "Since the end of last year, the place has incorporated tankery decorations around the shop. There's been a slight increase in business, although I'm not sure if it's because of the decorations."

Mako nodded, as she thought back to two years ago, before any of her teammates had arrived.

"I'd say you're right, Nodoka," Mako said. "But I think, all over the ship, people have been revitalized by the school remaining open. In my first year- and from what I heard from Hisa, the year before that, as well- business was declining in this place, particularly among students, possibly because of Oarai Academy's unimpressive reputation."

"That's kind of depressing, djey," Yuuki said. "Ignoring whether or not a school is weak, do you really _want_ to think of yourself as being part of a bad school? As having graduated from a school that won't teach you much? I don't, and it's probably even worse for people like Akiyama-senpai, who live on this ship."

"Yeah, I get what you mean, Yuuki," Mako said. "Of course, at the tail end of my three years here, I don't think Oarai's such a bad place myself, and I believe it's worth having around for future generations of students. What do you think, Maho, Hiroko?"

Maho and Hiroko nodded in agreement, the answer already clear to them even in spite of being at Oarai for less than a year. The obvious truth, one that did not need to be spelled out, was that if Oarai had shut down, they would have been unable to come to Nodoka's school and do tankery there with her. Now, two years at Oarai were ahead of them, and they eagerly looked forward to the prospect.

* * *

Meanwhile, Anglerfish Team had dinner at Miho's apartment. The group typically eschewed extravagant celebrations, typically finding that spending time with each other would be appropriate for most occasions, from celebrating an individual or the group's triumph, to helping console a troubled member, to simply passing the time and enjoying themselves together.

Their reason for gathering was for several reasons. They, as a team, were proud to have made it this far. They were also somewhat concerned about Mako, who was still deeply affected by her grandmother's recent passing. But more than anything, they enjoyed each other's company, and hoped to enjoy dinners together while they could.

"Will you be ready for the match tomorrow, Mako-san?" Miho said.

Mako nodded as enthusiastically as she could manage.

"Most likely as ready as I'll ever be, all things considered," Mako said. "I'll probably be scanning the stands for my grandma, and if we win, I'll probably end up wishing she could be there to see it. After all, I heard from Myeonghwa that you never completely get over losing a loved one, so this is something I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life." The other members looked at Mako with concerned expressions on her faces, but Mako responded with a slight smile. "But I know Grandma would want me to not dwell on her passing, and to keep on fighting and doing my best, so that's what I'll strive to do tomorrow, and from here on out."

Miho faintly smiled, relieved. What had happened to Mako had caused her to more keenly appreciate the fact that her 'father had not perished from his accident, and that he was slowly but steadily recovering.

"What about you, Miho?" Mako said. "I realize that even if I urge you to not put off dealing with your family problems, they won't be solved that easily."

"From what I understand, my mother is not counting on me to win, nor will she gain anything if I lose," Miho said. "As such, whatever she feels is a non-issue for me. I'm doing what I'm doing for all your sakes, as well as my own."

"That's something of a relief, Miporin," Saori said, "although I still don't understand why she'd be so strict and demanding with her own children."

"I don't expect you to, Saori-san," Miho said. "For better or worse, I do still love my family, and they have influenced me, but they are not my only influence. I did not return to tankery because my family expected it, but because it's something that I enjoy doing with my friends. Now that I have an opportunity to succeed where the Nishizumi school's students failed, I do not want to do so to prove my superiority over them, but to show what unlikely individuals- namely, my friends and I, can do together."

The others nodded. The stakes were different than last year, but they were still determined to do their best, come what may, and face their final opponent together.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I decided to revisit the teams before the finals, both to touch on some of the Oarai teams, and also see how they react when a significantly larger portion of the team will be leaving. Everyone except Rabbit Team will lose at least one person, and three entire teams- Anglerfish, Hippo and Turtle- will be gone, so the team will likely be very different next year. (The departure of so many characters from Oarai is one reason why the series will end after Necessary to Keep Winning).

Next up is the finals. The last few chapters of the story are written up, and will be ready after some fine-tuning, so you will likely see them very soon.

**Character Analysis: Maho Nishizumi**

Maho is largely defined by a conflict between her desire and her duties. At her heart, she isn't the perfect Nishizumi heiress Shiho wants, but she can't do everything for Miho's sake.

In addition to Maho's desire for Miho's happiness, Maho also feels a great sense of responsibility toward her school and her team. For her, winning is something she does for the sake of the people she fights alongside

But are the Nishizumi ways as is a good idea for the next generation? Maho is less than sure of that, even disregarding her personal feelings. It's thus likely that she, on some level, feels a desire to change the school.

Of course, Hiroe's parting question, of whether she herself would want to do things her own way, resonates with Maho. And now that the Nishizumi School has been shaken by repeated failures to win the tournament, she may have to find the answer, one that might just be an approach Miho can get behind.


	37. Putting the Past to Rest

**Chapter 28: Putting the Past to Rest**

As Miho expected, the last round of the tournament took place on the same battleground as two years ago, a rocky area with a series of cliffs with a river running through the middle, at the bottom of a deep canyon. The battlefield was mostly rocky, but away from the cliffs, there were some wooded and hilly areas.

There were two ways to cross the river. The first was a high metal bridge atop the cliffs. The second was at the base of the cliffs, there was a small pass that, once traversed, would lead to the other side. Two years ago, Miho had tried to reach that crossing, but they had never made it. One tank had slipped off the path and into the river, and the rest, as they say, was history.

But while everyone in Pravda and Oarai's teams were aware that history sometimes repeats, none of those who had competed on this battlefield back then wished for the events of the past to happen again

* * *

Miho and Kinue, along with the rest of their teams, stood across from each other and exchanged bows before the game.

"Before we begin, Miho-chan, I'd like to confirm something," Kinue said. "What exactly is at stake for you and your school in this match?"

Miho glanced at the others, and they shook their heads together. She then turned back to Kinue.

"Nothing apart from what most teams fight for, Kinue-san," Miho said. "Perhaps by defeating you, I can succeed where Black Forest failed, but in the end, wanting to win your own way is a widely held desire, even if one's reasons vary from person to person."

Kinue could not help but smile. The fact that Miho could describe her goal in these terms indicated that she was still her own person, rather than fighting for someone else's sake or using borrowed ideals.

"I see," Kinue said. "I have a proposal, if you will. Since both of us know what happened two years ago, we could avert that by staying away from the water at the base of the cliffs."

"That sounds like a good proposal," Miho said. "I discussed it with my team, and they thought of something similar."

Miho nodded. There was always something difficult about going head to head against someone she already liked, whether her sister in a practice match, or Kinue, a friend of hers, today. Kinue had no love for the Nishizumis' ruthlessness and high standards, but she was highly competitive and determined to win in her own way, for her own reasons.

Of course, Miho saw a great deal of herself in Kinue, and shared Kinue's resolve. She was severely outnumbered and outgunned once again, but, as always, strove to overcome those odds and win for her school.

* * *

Ami and Aiko sat down in the stands, dressed in casual clothing. As they were off duty, Ami had waved for Aiko to come to sit next to her, not bothering to stand up or salute.

"So, what are your thoughts at the moment, now that your most recent students are facing off against your alma mater?" Ami said, a question Aiko hesitated to answer. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to- or can't- but I'm honestly interested in knowing."

"I'm not here on business, Ami," Aiko said. "They say that you leave your private life at the door when you're acting professionally, but I'd also like to note that I'm not here as Oarai's temporary instructor or as part of my duty for the JGSDF.

"I see what you mean, Aiko," Ami said. "And I suspect that you're in a situation not unlike mine last year."

"To some extent," Aiko said. "Regarding my professional side, I'd like to point out that I became a teacher because I chose to, and it is my desire to do well at it. The same goes for serving my country."

"As did I," Ami said.

"Regarding my private side, though," Aiko said, "that's where things get more complicated. I remember first seeing a picture of Atago Kinue-san when she was five years old and I was a student in Instructor Atago's school. I first met Kinue-san when she was about six, and watching one of her first tankery games; she's about as old as one of my cousins. Kinue-san and I know each other somewhat well, and I've watched her grow up, get involved in tankery and develop as a commander. She's come a long way, much like I have, and I respect her for it."

"I see; that sounds quite impressive," Ami said out of polite interest. "And... you never met Nishizumi Miho-san before you arrived at Oarai?"

"That's true," Aiko said, "and more to the point, I may not have met her apart from my job. She and I are nothing more than student and teacher, but at the same time, I've grown to sympathize with her and root for her. I suppose that sort of thing naturally happens, since I know her better than the other fifteen commanders this year."

Ami nodded.

"The Nishizumi school stresses professional detachment," Ami said. "I don't think it goes so far as to say that we, two fellow officers of the Self-Defense Forces who first met while you outranked me, can't be friends, but it would have certainly stressed staying professional above all else." Ami sighed as she carefully considered her next words. "The principle is good, but I think it doesn't fully grasp the reality of how people feel about each other."

Aiko nodded. The Atago school had recently incorporated such lessons on how to relate to the others. Hiroe helped teach the class and candidly talked about her relationship with her mother and the instructor, changing terminology as appropriate, but always directly addressing Masae as "Instructor" while among students. In Aiko's time, however, the school was still in its infancy, and provided a more basic lesson on professionalism and discipline. While Aiko believed the expansion of the curriculum was an improvement, she did not believe the Atago school could teach everything about tankery.

"I suppose it's one of those lessons that you have to learn yourself," Aiko said, "just like how Nishizumi Miho-san and Kinue-san had to find their own ways of doing tankery."

"That's true," Ami said. "Now, we shall see which one of their answers proves superior."

* * *

Many of Oarai and Pravda's former opponents had turned out to watch the match, whether to cheer on the one that had defeated them or hope that their opponent would succeed where they had failed. Others were graduates of Oarai and Pravda, and hoped to watch their schools' performance.

Katyusha sat next to Nonna in the stands. In spite of the fact that she was now a university student, she had hardly grown at all. On the positive side, she was still able to ride on Nonna's shoulders. On the negative side, she was still mistaken for a young child, and her excellent grades and displays of immaturity only lent further credence to the idea of her being some sort of child prodigy. Her role in winning the tankery tournament had earned her some respect, but some still judged her by her appearance.

At the moment, though, Katyusha's mind was on her alma mater, and those who carried on her efforts to win the tournament for Pravda.

"You know, I'm kind of jealous of Kinue," Katyusha said.

"Is it about something other than her height, her figure or her becoming commander?" Nonna said.

Katyusha frowned for a moment, even as she knew that Nonna's words rung true. Everyone who had a casual conversation with her knew about her desire to be taller, most who knew her well were aware that she was sensitive about her flat chest, and she had confessed to Nonna that, while she respected Hiroe and appreciated her recognizing her talent, she had hoped to become commander. In the end, however, Katyusha sighed, as if to concede Nonna's assumptions were reasonable, before answering her question.

"Yeah," Katyusha said. "Not only did she beat Black Forest, but she's also facing off against Oarai. The latter is an opponent that would have been fun to face once."

Nonna nodded. At this point, it seemed a futile endeavor to remind Katyusha that her strategies had played a key role in defeating Maho's school, because that school was not nearly as dominant in the university level as Black Forest had been on the high school level.

"Oarai was not always as strong as it is now," Nonna said. "Perhaps if they had gone up against us in the first round, we might have been able to defeat them as easily as we did Bosporu, and we would not have had any satisfaction out of it."

"Well, yeah," Katyusha said, silently acknowledging that she had once been dismissive of Oarai. "But crushing the weaklings can be fun in its own way, too. If a bunch of amateurs comes before my school to get pounded by us in a practice match, then I'm all too happy to oblige them. And if we happen to face a weak school in the tournament, we smash them and move on to the next round."

"You never change, Katyusha," Nonna said, amused. "But you do have a point. Ten tanks of various quality do not generally stand much of a chance against twice as many Russian tanks, which is why the tournament limits the numbers in early rounds. Even Nishizumi Miho will have a very difficult time in this match."

"Yeah," Katyusha said. "Kinue and Katyusha talked on the phone a few days ago, and Kinue admitted she was nervous about her chances. I did what I could to reassure her my way, but she wasn't fully convinced."

"Perhaps that degree of humility is, in and of itself, a strength," Nonna said. "By knowing her weaknesses, Kinue can overcome them. By not blinding herself to the possibility of defeat, Kinue is better able to avoid it. The commander won the tournament because she learned that over the years, and perhaps that, more than any of Pravda's other advantages, will be what enables Kinue to win today."

* * *

Maho, once again on her own to the finals, chanced upon the Atagos, as well as an empty seat nearby. Many people from Oarai and Pravda, both schools' previous opponents, many locals, and others interested in seeing an important and exciting high school tankery game.

In the Atagos' case, they were eagerly watching Kinue's most important tankery game, and the first time she had come to the finals without her sister and her cousin. They had given their maid, Sakura, the day off, but Sakura had respectfully declined their invitation to watch it together with them, feeling it improper given her position as a servant. So Maho saw Kinue's mother, father, older sister, cousin and aunt sitting in next to each other, with an empty seat next to them.

"Hey there," Maho," Hiroe said, and the rest of the family responded with their own greetings.

"Hello, everyone," Maho said, as she noticed the empty seat. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"You're certainly welcome to join us, Maho," Masae said, "as long as you're fine with us rooting for Kinue."

"I'd be disappointed if you and your family weren't, Instructor Atago," Maho said. "Blood is thicker than water, after all."

Masae nodded approvingly, glad that Maho understood. As much as Masae hoped her daughter would win, she also liked and sympathized with Miho, and understood Maho's desire for her sister to win.

"Excellent," Masae said. "I'd like to introduce you to my husband, Atago Masaru, and my sister, Funakubo Masaki. Dear, Masaki, this is Nishizumi Maho, Instructor Nishizumi's older daughter"

"It's nice to meet you," they said.

"My wife and daughters told me a great deal about you, Maho," Masaru said. "I'm pleased that you're getting along with my daughters and niece, which is more than I can say for your mother."

"I appreciate hearing that, sir," Maho said, "and I... know where you're coming from."

Masaru sighed. While he despised Shiho and knew that her daughters had a less than happy upbringing under her, he was aware that they still held a certain amount of love for her, just as he had for his parents from when they cast him out until- and even after- their deaths. His wife, as a fellow tankery teacher, had a certain amount of professional respect for Shiho and understood what it meant to teach tankery and manage school, in spite of their many disagreements. Masaru understood their perspectives, but had no such regard for her, and did not see anything that would excuse or justify the decisions she made that he saw as despicable.

"Let's just say that Masae's early outburst against _that woman_ would have been mild compared to what I would have said," Masaru said. "Furthermore, I consider the recent turn of events for the tournament to be insufficient karmic retribution for her; she must be shown, beyond all her ability to deny it, that she is a failure as a teacher and a parent."

"I know, Atago-san," Maho said. "I heard about your experience with your family, and I offer my condolences."

Masaru smiled as he shook his head.

"_My_ _family_ is virtually all here in the stands today," Masaru said, "save for my younger daughter, who is competing, and my mother-in-law, who is watching from home. I appreciate your sentiments, Maho, but I know who the people dearest to me are, and... have come to terms with... my parents and siblings."

Masaru left unspoken how his uncle, Suzuki Kariya, had died from a stroke four years ago, and his father-in-law, Atago Makoto, had passed away in his sleep after a brief illness three years ago. He wished for more time with them, having only come to know them in adulthood, but he parted with them on good terms, and did not have the same sense of regret that he had with his parents, nor the same irreparable distance he now had with his siblings.

A moment of awkward silence descended on the group as the conversation entered a somber subject, before Hiroe broke the silence.

"But yeah," Hiroe said. "From what you heard from Dad, he's harsh on your mom and school in all sorts of ways that even I wouldn't be."

"That's in part because I do hope that the adversity they will endure will teach them beneficial lessons, Hiroe," Masaru said, "just as you were driven to improve yourself after being defeated many times in the past, until you eventually prevailed. Black Forest had grown somewhat complacent and arrogant, so the time had come to shock them out of it."

Maho stopped short. Hiroko, making eye contact, turned back to Masaru.

"Does this include the Nishizumi heiress, Uncle Masaru?" Hiroko said. "It has been quite difficult for Maho to meet Instructor Nishizumi's requirements."

"By most people's standards, Hiroko," Maho said. "And yet, the fact that they _are_ difficult gives me reason to do them, so that Miho will not have to."

"I believe that having to struggle in order to win, and rise up past failure is good for everyone," Masaru said. "As much as I've enjoyed Oarai's ascent from an underdog to a champion, their winning streak has to end someday. What better time is there than now, and who is better to do it than my daughter?"

Maho silently nodded, perfectly understanding Masaru's perspective. Perhaps the Atagos were closer to being considered normal than the Nishizumis were, but the idea of looking out for and cheering on one's own resonated with her. As such, while she was rooting for the other side, she felt comfortable sitting in the company of those who had that in common with her.

* * *

As the match began, Oarai's forces set out cautiously in a hilly area; the river was not far from them in terms of horizontal directions, although vertically, it was far below. The Oarai crews were hoping to avoid getting pinned against the large rocks or backed into a corner at the edge of the cliff.

Miho realized that with the number of hiding spaces, it was easy to get ambushed in the terrain, but it was also possible for would-be ambushers to be taken by surprise themselves. Some passages were more obscure than others, though, which was why the team had considered going along the base of the cliff at the riverbank to shelter the flag tank, realizing too late the natural hazards, and that Pravda had anticipated that tactic.

Once again, Pravda was the first to attack, as a few tanks fired from atop small and sparsely wooded hills, hoping to inflict damage on Oarai's forces before they could get to cover. Oarai countered by moving evasively in a serpentine pattern, ensuring that most of the shells did not reach their targets, falling where the tanks used to be, or never had been.

Oarai returned fire. The Tas stuck a T-34/85 in the turret, disabling it, and the StuG was able to take out a T-34/76 from below by striking its side as it tried to get in position on top of a hill.

Meanwhile, a lone KV-2 took aim at Oarai's tanks, scanning its potential targets. Most of them were fleeing, and some were fighting back, so finding an opportune target was difficult. It was most tempting to aim for the flag tank, and a good idea considering that the entire match was at stake, but it was not feasible at the moment.

Unable to hit the flag tank, it chose the second highest priority target- the Tas. Octopus Team had a powerful tank and had used it well in the matches, so once Oarai was deprived of that asset, they would be significantly weakened.

The KV-2 fired a carefully aimed shell, striking Octopus Team in the right side, near the back. The Tas came to a halt and threw up the white flag.

* * *

Nodoka let off a deep sigh of disappointment as her tank ground to a halt. The battle was hardly getting off to a good start, and to her, it was shameful that her team was the first to be taken out.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Nodoka-senpai," Maho said. "You tried your best."

Nodoka paused a moment to consider Maho's perspective. In stark contrast to the Nishizumi who bore the same name, who had won several tournaments on the national and international levels, this was her friend's first time in a tournament final. In spite of her tireless enthusiasm and boundless energy, she was also excited to have gotten this far.

Nodoka understood that much, but while she was hardly as ruthlessly dedicated as many Nishizumi style practitioners were, she recognized that results often mattered. If she had failed to win the tournament, she would have been forced to leave her school, her friends and tankery behind. If Saki had failed last year, her best chance at reconciling with her sister would have faded. Perhaps it was for the best that Maho had not come onto the team that year, but Nodoka believed she needed to understand.

"Trying isn't always enough, Maho-chan," Nodoka said. "You have to not only try your best, but keep improving yourself so that your best gets even better. I think you understand this by now."

"Maho does," Maho said. "Maho's been trying hard all this time, to get Nodoka-senpai's acknowledgement, and be of use to her, Yuuki-senpai, Miyanaga-senpai and Someya-senpai."

Nodoka nodded approvingly. While she did sometimes come off as stern and slightly cold where Maho was concerned, she did hope her friend and kouhai would succeed, and was able to recognize how much progress Maho had made.

"Everyone has that sort of resolve, Maho-chan," Saki said. "That's why we're confident our teammates will do everything they can to help us pull through."

* * *

Meanwhlie, in the stands, Sumire and Teru had come to watch the match. They were hoping to see their respective cousin and younger sister in action, and had not anticipated that the latter's team would leave the battle first.

"There goes Saki's tank," Sumire said, hoping to gauge Sumire's reaction. "What's on your mind, Teru?"

"It seems Oarai is off to a less than optimal starting point," Teru said, "albeit by no means an insurmountable disadvantage."

"That much is clear," Sumire said. "But what now, Teru? What are you going to do now that you can't watch your sister?"

Teru shrugged.

"Obviously, I'm not going to head back just yet, after coming all this way," Teru said, "since doing so is rude to the rest of the team, and not worth the effort. In spite of that, I do think that this can be an enlightening experience."

"How so?" Sumire said.

"Most would not consider struggling against such odds entirely pleasant," Teru said. "For a while, I wondered why Saki had chosen a school that had such a weak tankery team for the purposes of reconnecting with me. Perhaps she could even have come to Black Forest, and might have succeeded in reaching out to me, had I not been too hardhearted and stubborn to listen."

Sumire shook her head. She had no desire to argue with Teru about her regrets, but she believed her old friend's supposition was mistaken.

"Not everyone necessarily enjoys a strict, demanding and competitive tankery team like Black Forest's," Sumire said. "From what you told me, I don't think Saki would have fared all that well in that environment."

"Yes, that's true," Teru said. "Saki, like Miho, is a person who mainly does tankery for fun and a sense of camaraderie."

"I know," Sumire said, "While I initially did tankery because my parents expected me to do it, I've learned that tankery itself is fun, when you do it with others that enjoyed it with you. Essentially anyone who, like I did, didn't get involved willingly can eventually find both the desire to do tankey and their own reasons for doing it on their own."

Teru nodded.

"That makes sense," Teru said. "When we started speaking again, the first things Saki and I discussed with each other were stories from our respective schools. In my case, I started with when I came to Black Forest with you. In Saki's case, she started with when she first met Nodoka, how she became close with Octopus Team, and becoming friends with Miho as well. Experiences like those are what I miss most about tankery, and perhaps what I've most lost sight of in the last four years."

"True," Sumire said, pausing slightly. "But in all fairness, though, you did lose one of your friends who helped teach you that. That tragedy was hard on our entire middle school, even those who did not know Mizuho well."

"Yes, but this is hardly what Mizuho would have wanted," Teru said. "In any case, I'll try out for the team for next year, and take whatever position Maho gives me- if she does give me one at all. Perhaps it might even be fun just to start off as yet another beginner and work my way up from there."

Sumire nodded. Her parents had drilled tankery into her, and by doing so, had prevented her from experiencing the joy of finding something new. In spite of that, tankery had eventually proven to be fun for her, in large part because of Teru's influence.

"But enough about me," Teru said modestly. "Let's see how Satomi and the others fare."

* * *

As Oarai's tanks headed forward, hoping to keep Pravda on the defensive, Miho realized that the terrain was not easily passable, making it difficult to reach the Pravda tanks. Oarai had been able to defeat a few of them by returning fire, but they did not have the strategic advantage, and so would be picked off before long.

They thus took on evasive maneuvers, hoping to reach the end of the valley and fight the Pravda tankers on more even footing. In most circumstances, Oarai could not face the enemy in a straight-up fight, and so had to find many ways to turn situations to their advantage.

Kinue was aware of that, though, having watched Oarai for a long time, and having realized from her battle with Black Forest that advantages could easily be reversed. She thus ordered her tanks to fire on Oarai's tanks, and stop them in their tracks.

Pravda's tanks intensified their assault, hoping to stop Oarai's forces short, or, failing that, further thin their ranks. As Oarai's forces continued undeterred, the former was clearly a failure, but not the latter.

An IS-2 fired a shot at the Cromwell. The shot struck squarely in the turret, halting its advance and forcing up its white flag.

* * *

Inside the flag tank Mutsuki sighed as she realized that the end had come for her crew, if not for the team.

"So this is as far as we can go, huh?" Mutsuki said. "Even though we've all improved this year, this seems to be the extent of how far our skill can take us."

"You were there when we, under Yumi's command, were taken out in the previous finals, President~su," Momo said, "so I'd say that you performed about as well as she would in this situation."

Mutsuki smiled, having gotten perhaps the highest praise possible from Momo as far as tankery leadership went.

"Right," Mutsuki said. "Of course, I could never be fully content with how I was performing... and I suppose the same was true with Kajiki-senpai. Perhaps you'll always face situations that you're not quite prepared for, and the only solution is to get better. Perhaps we _are_ out of our depth against Pravda."

Kaori solemnly nodded. She realized that she had come a long way since she did not even know the basics of using a radio, but was aware that there were many out there who were better than they were.

"Although..." Mutsuki said. "I am starting to realize that I can improve myself, and that I _have_ done so. The tasks before me, as well as the battle our school is in, are difficult, but by no means impossible."

The others nodded in agreement. The team had started with very little, but had grown quite powerful. The match had a less than optimal beginning, but it did not have to end unpleasantly for Oarai. Sparrow Team could no longer affect the outcome, but the remaining crews had their spirit, so they believed in their comrades.

* * *

Oarai surged through the valley, only to find the Pravda forces waiting at its end, unleashing shot after shot in an attempt to keep their foes at bay.

Duck Team, however, taking the initiative and fueled by their guts, was able to slip through a gap in Pravda's lines, which quickly closed behind them, as two T-34/85s shifted toward each other, nearly colliding in the process.

Seeing the Type 89 approach, Kinue realized that it was by far Oarai's weakest tank, which was saying something. Oarai was surprisingly lucky to find ten unsold tanks laying around the ship, and even more so to find tanks that were not only in working order, but higher quality than might be expected. The Type 89, however, was of surprisingly little use in the conventional sense, and Oarai often had to think outside the box to put it to any use beyond being a target for the enemy.

Because Oarai did not follow conventional thinking, Kinue recognized any of Oarai's tanks as possible threats, and knew that if she underestimated Oarai at any point, especially when she had a tank so close to her flag tank, she would pay dearly. As the Type 89 took aim at Kinue's T-34's tracks, she quickly ordered her gunner to turn and fire on the tank.

The Japanese tank's weak armor could not withstand the Russian tank's shot at such close range, and threw up the white flag.

_"That was close," _Kinue thought.

However, Oarai, taking advantage of Pravda's momentary disarray, fired and disabled two tanks, a T-34/76 and an IS-2, the well-placed shots and resounding explosions cutting off any chance Pravda might have had to celebrate their stroke of good fortune. With the front line down, Pravda began to retreat, to meet up with some of the tanks that had ambushed the Oarai forces.

As the retreat began, some of the ambushing forces met up with them as they sped into a wooded area.

A IS-2 turned and fired at the nearest tank, which happened to be Hippo Team. A single shell stopped the StuG in its tracks and forced up its white flag.

Kinue heard the report, and dispassionately accepted it.

_"Sorry, Takako," _Kinue thought. _"If this were another time, I'd have hoped to have a one-on-one tank duel with you, a hope I heard that Carpaccio-san shared as well. But this is a matter of winning for my school and my friends, so I'll have to give it my all. Don't you agree, Miho-chan?"_

* * *

Duck Team sat in their disabled tank.

"I've watched a lot of sports movies," Akebi said, having occasionally joined Rabbit Team for their movie nights when they put on sports films, "but I've never seen one in which the 'team to beat' had both greater numbers and better equipment than the underdog."

"Technically, Black Forest was the team to beat, and Pravda was able to defeat them this time," Shinobu said. "But your point still stands, Akebi; they fight them on a significantly more level ground than we are."

"True," Taeko said. "I hope that our teammates aren't letting up because the school isn't at stake, or giving up in the face of these odds."

Noriko confidently shook her head.

"They won't," Noriko said. "If we can accomplish as much as we have with a tank like this, then I think they can still beat Pravda. Pravda may seem to have all the advantages, but guts will prevail in the end."

* * *

Miho heard the news of Hippo Team being taken out.

"Hippo Team, are you alright?" Miho said.

"Jawohl," Erwin said. "The same goes for the others."

After completing their final radio transmission, Erwin and the others sat back and waited for the Dragon Wagon to haul them off the field.

"How many times has it been that we've been taken out, anyway?" Saemonza said.

"With all the practice battles we do, I've lost count," Oryou said. "But I do recall a quote saying that you don't win wars by dying for your country; you win them by making the other..." Oryou cleared her throat "...guys die for theirs."

"It must be Patton," Erwin said, prompting a chorus of "That's it!" from the others. The four history club members had their own areas of expertise, but they were all generally well-versed in history. Because of their similar personalities, they were often on the same wavelength, and thus worked well as a tea.

"True," Caesar said. "But while making sacrifices for a cause is celebrated in fiction, history's written by the winners, and is more favorable to those who defeat their enemies. Perhaps if things had differently, and Pompey had won the civil war, Caesar would have been a mere footnote."

The others solemnly nodded. They were fully aware that while effort was important, no one was granted prizes just for trying. Had they failed to win the tournament last year, their school would have been shut down. And this year, if they did not succeed in defeating Pravda's flag tank, then all the team's efforts and sacrifices in this match would be for nothing.

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

I'd like to thank KMT4ever and Stalker117 for beta reading this.

A large part of the final battle will deal with how Oarai deals with an overwhelmingly and constantly desperate situation. They won't have the same strokes of good fortune that they did in the previous year's finals, and will have to struggle in order to stay in the game, much less win.

The final battle will conclude in the next chapter.


	38. In Her Own Right

**Chapter 29: In Her Own Right**

Shiho watched the match on television in the living room of her home. She had considered coming in person, as she had for Oarai's match against Rinkai, but she had a great deal to think about, so she wished to be alone. To avoid any distractions, she told Kikuyo to do her chores, and said once she finished, she could watch the match on the guest room's television.

Miho had taken a great deal of losses, but had not been deterred just yet. To Shiho, determination was not the only requirement for being a successful tanker, but it was still absolutely necessary, and was the one thing she believed Miho had lacked. Shiho had to wonder how well Erika or many of the other Nishizumi disciples would do in Miho's circumstances, at this much of a disadvantage.

Perhaps Miho, by building a team from the ground up along with her friends, had accomplished something more significant than inheriting stewardship of the best school in the nation. Her battles were more difficult than those the Nishizumis had fought in many ways, and this time, Shiho did not see much hope of Miho winning, even compared to the past.

A part of Shiho accepted that, and the part of Shiho that was head of her school knew that Kinue and even Miho followed ideologies very different from hers. But another part still hoped that those odds were not insurmountable, and that if anyone triumphed, it would be Miho.

_"I've long dismissed sentimentality toward my own family as a weakness that could potentially undermine my ability to lead my family's school," _Shiho thought. _"But when I think about it while my school is removed from the equation, perhaps I truly understand how much my family matters."_

* * *

The Atago family watched the battle with rapt anticipation. Miho had taken a significant amount of casualties so far, but Kinue had suffered even more- seven of her tanks to Miho's four- so Pravda's advantage was quite tenuous. Oarai could not win a war of attrition, but they were inflicting more casualties than they were suffering, so perhaps the Pravda flag tank would be next.

"Kinue has lost quite a few tanks," Masaru said, "which is surprising considering how outnumbered her opponent is."

"So did I when I went up against Maho this year, Dad," Hiroe said. "I'm not much for the Nishizumi school's belief in sacrifice, but some losses are inevitable. And hey, it's just a game and no one's supposed to get hurt."

"True," Masae said. "Kinue once told me that she believed she could not have gotten this far without her subordinates behind her, so she resolved to win for their sake."

"That's something Miho believes quite strongly," Maho said with a smile. "To some degree, it's also something I believe in, and reason enough for me to want to win for the sake of Rhineland, Black Forest, Bismarck or any of the other schools and teams I play for. They may not share my goals, but they have proven quite helpful to me."

The others nodded, but Hiroko let off a sigh, and Masae glanced at Maho skeptically.

"Do you really feel that way, Maho?" Masae said. "In theory, it's a good belief, but in practice, I wonder how far that belief took you last year."

"What do you mean, Instructor Atago?" Maho said.

"I'm talking about the finals," Masae said. "You knew that if you had won, your sister's school would have been shut down, and you would have essentially proven the superiority of the Nishizumi style over your sister's own way of tankery. With a certain amount of discipline, people can force themselves to do things even if they do not want to, but I can hardly imagine that you were able to wholeheartedly commit yourself to defeating Miho back then, considering the ramifications of the battle and what was at stake."

Maho shrugged. The Nishizumi school did not believe that effort should be governed by one's emotions, although it did take into account troop morale. In spite of that, Maho did find it difficult to objectively determine whether she was wholeheartedly trying to win, but knew she did as much as she could.

"Maybe not," Maho said. "In any case, my loss was not for lack of trying. Miho was able to prevail in a one-on-one fight, thereby proving herself worthy in her own right against me. This battle may have different stakes, but it's entirely likely that Kinue will have to go through the rest of Miho's team in order to defeat her. Miho's still determined to win, and her friends, who share that resolve, will do everything in their power to protect her."

"I thought so," Hiroe said. "But while she has every reason to win, so does Kinue, and so this match will probably last until one side is completely wiped out."

* * *

The battle raged on in the hilly and forested area far from the cliffs. That area was primary ambush territory for Pravda, which was one reason why Maho had chosen to avoid it in the previous finals. Miho was aware of the risk she was taking by allowing the battle to spill over into the woods, but she believed that since she understood the risk, and why it was risky, she could take steps to mitigate it.

Kinue's forces once again got into position to attack Oarai's forces from the side, hoping to impede their advance and thin their ranks, so that they would not be able to reach Kinue's flag tank.

But Oarai's forces were making their counterattack as they got into position, firing on the opponents that had, while getting into a position to fire, exposed themselves to the enemy in the process.

The Hetzer fired, taking out a T-34/76 that was aiming at Oarai's tanks, and Anglerfish Team was able to disable a T-34/85 with a well-placed shot to the side.

As the Hetzer tried to escape down the hill, a KV-2 took up position on a nearby hill and fired, striking it on the roof. From the blast emerged a gout of smoke, and then, the white flag.

* * *

As Turtle Team was hauled off the field, the three student council members sighed resignedly.

"So this is as far as we can go in the tournament," Shizuru said. "I'd hoped not to put so much of the burden on Miho's shoulders."

"Unless I'm mistaken, Shizuru, the previous Turtle Team got disabled in every battle," Ayano said, "meaning that at some point or another, they were taken off the field, leaving the fight to the remaining tanks. In that regard, we're not much worse than they are."

"Does Takei-senpai count?" Natsumi said. "She and her teammates from Octopus Team had experience prior to coming to Oarai, and they performed significantly better than we did, for the most part."

Shizuru nodded. She believed in doing her part for the team, but she had no illusions of being the best. Like the other newcomers, she realized she had much to learn, and was prepared to sit out if her performance was inadequate.

"Her situation was different, and she was more comfortable going in," Shizuru said. "When it comes down to it, in tankery, and in student government, we really have more in common with the Kadotani administration than I thought.

"They couldn't do this alone, ether," Ayano said. "Shiina, Miho and the others are still out there, fighting. I only wish we could continue to do so alongside them."

"So do I," Natsumi said. "We've come farther than i thought, but we can't be satisfied with this level of performance, not while the others are still fighting against such long odds."

* * *

Oarai continued to advance onward, forced to leave its defeated tanks behind. This part of the battlefield was relatively safe, so nothing unfortunate would befall them until the Dragon Wagons arrived to haul them off the field. In spite of that, with each tank that was removed, Oarai lost one gun that could be pointed at the enemy, and one group of comrades would no longer be able to fight alongside the team.

As Oarai pulled into the clearing, the Pravda forces quickly took up positions on the hills nearby. Anglerfish and Anteater Team fired, taking out an IS-2 and a T-34/76, respectively. Some of the better vantage points were also open to attack, and if Oarai remained vigilant, they could take down many of their foes before they could get a chance to fire.

Unfortunately, a KV-2, in a somewhat more distant and significantly more concealed part, had already taken position and aimed at Mallard Team. A well-placed shot sailed through the air, and struck the tank, disabling it in a single blow.

* * *

Saro struggled to make sense of what she was seeing. Over the course of her battles, she had gotten used to the limited visibility inside a tank, and after being defeated so many times, she was easily able to recognize when it happened.

"You know, Sodoko never liked this part about tankery," Saro said. "Winning's often a matter of having the bigger guns, and the main strategy to offset it is by taking the opponent by surprise."

"I said as much to Akiyama-san once," Gomoyo said, "which prompted her to give a long and passionate speech about the strengths and weaknesses of various tanks, and how even a tank like the Maus can be felled by tanks like ours, in a David and Goliath situation."

"I heard about that one," Saro said. "I suppose it's a stroke of good fortune that we don't have to face that one this time, although the KV-2 is hardly better." Saro sighed. "But let's be realistic. When people talk about those who beat the odds, they're not talking about people like the three of us. Our commander isn't some rank amateur; she's done tankery since she was little and used to be vice-captain of Black Forest, after all."

"Perhaps so," Gomoyo said. "But Nishizumi-san has made her own decisions and chosen to bravely face the odds. The least we can do for her is similarly challenge ourselves, and, at least on that regard, we've succeeded."

Saro nodded. Oarai's success had been achieved together. Teams were only as strong as their weakest links, but on teams like Oarai's, even those weak links had their places. Saro had never been Oarai's most valuable player, but being part of that team was something she cherished, and reason enough for her to do her best.

* * *

Oarai advanced toward the slope at the back of their current location, hoping to advance upward, past the disabled Pravda tanks, to continue their pursuit of Kinue. But as quickly as they went, they were hindered by the other enemies opening fire on them. As such, they could not outpace the KV-2's loading, in spite of slow and ponderous the process was for the large Russian tank.

The KV-2 aimed again, this time at Anglerfish Team. But Anteater Team had seen the barrel stop in place a moment before the shell exploded forth from it, and knew what had to be done.

"Momogawa! Go left, NOW!" Shiina yelled frantically.

As soon as she heard the command, Momogawa turned the tank left... into the path of the KV-2's shell.

Miho heard the sound of the blast, but her tank was not the one that was taken out. She quickly peered out the top, and saw a white flag... but it was on Anteater Team's tank, not hers.

Once again, her participation in the match came at the cost of a friendly tank. She could not afford to be weighed down by regrets, but could only make the most of this opportunity, in order to seize the slim chance of victory that remained.

* * *

As Anteater Team was hauled back, they pondered their defeat, something that had happened to them many times while playing video games. In many of those cases, death was simply represented by a brief message, such as "You Are Dead", "The party has fallen", "Mission Failed" or the almost universally known "Game Over." Usually, the message was terse, brief, and to the point, simply a prelude to the player reloading their save or going back to the title screen, similar to how their white flag mainly served to signify that they were not to be attacked, and needed to be hauled off the field. Unfortunately for the gamers, there would not be any second chances for them or for Oarai in this match- the day would end with them as a champion or as a runner-up.

Misha was most reminded how, during her guild's raids, she was able to watch what happened to her guildmates once she died. In many cases, they were picked off one by one until the battle ended in their defeat, but in some cases, they were able to pull through without her. When the latter happened, she rejoiced, but resolved to ensure that she would make it through the next time they challenged the boss. Their victories usually took many attempts before they were successful, but there were no do-overs in tankery.

Anteater Team had come a long way, but still felt as though they were fighting outside their weight class, like a party in an RPG that entered a more difficult area without taking the time to grind for experience. Perhaps with practice, they would continue to improve in the future, and feel as though they played a more significant role in the victories to come, whether at Oarai or wherever their lives took them next.

* * *

Oarai's remaining tanks surged forward, in search of Pravda's flag tank, which remained elusive, hidden behind the many others that engaged Oarai. Only by defeating the enemies ahead of them or forcing their way past them could Oarai succeed in reaching, much less defeating, the flag tank.

The Porsche Tiger took a head-on shot from the KV-2, but deflected it off its front armor. Leopon Team delivered a punishing blast to their foe's more vulnerable lower armor at medium range, disabling it. It quickly fired on a T-34/78, disabling it.

Moments later, a second KV-2 arrived and took position behind Oarai's tanks. Aiming carefully, it fired a well-placed shot into the Porsche Tiger's side. That damage, combined with everything the tank had suffered up until then, took Leopon Team out of the game.

Oarai's remaining two tanks crested the hill, and saw Kinue's flag tank dead ahead, but several Pravda tanks obstructed Oarai's path. While by no means callous or cavalier to losing tanks, Kinue recognized that Pravda could more easily afford to take losses than Oarai, and a single tank being lost could impede Oarai at a crucial juncture, with devastating repercussions.

With a sudden shot, Rabbit Team got a glancing blow on one of them, and succeeded in securing their attention as Anglerfish Team surged by, firing at and disabling an IS-2. All the while, though, Pravda's tanks took aim at their opponents.

Three T-34-76s aimed at the M3 Lee, as it fired with both its guns. One shot struck squarely in the side of a tank and disabled it. The second shot struck the tank with a glancing blow and threw off its aim.

The third tank, undeterred, fired on and and disabled the M3 Lee.

As Miho's crew continued their pursuit, they saw a plume of smoke past the ridge, moments before Azusa announced that Rabbit Team had been rendered inoperable.

"That's the last of our allies..." Yukari said. "It's all up to us now."

Miho knew that the situation this time was perhaps even more desperate than it had been at the end of the finals last year. Every single active Pravda tank would be gunning for them, and even with the casualties they had inflicted on them, the enemy outnumbered them five to one. Perhaps Oarai might have won already if it had been the semifinals, but now, victory could only be achieved by surviving against all odds and defeating the Pravda flag tank.

* * *

Leopon Team sat in their disabled tank. While heavily armored, the Porsche Tiger was not invincible, and even though they could overcome its deficiencies, their enemies could take it out of commission the standard way.

"Does it sometimes seem unfair how easily the opposing crews can put out tanks with heavy armor and strong guns?" Nanami said. "It kind of nullifies our advantage."

"It could be worse," Tsuchiya said. "Last year, we got taken out by the Maus' main gun before we could accomplish much in the finals."

The three others girls had heard of the mammoth German tank, which vastly outclassed anything Oarai had to offer and could only be brought down by a cunning strategy and teamwork. Pravda did not have anything nearly in the Maus' league, but its tanks tended to outgun Oarai's, in addition to outnumbering them. As a result, Pravda had a great deal of leeway, resulting in less need for clever tactics when their tanks could win in a straight-up fight.

"I heard about the Maus, senpai," Gotou said, "along with how we took it down. It might be nice if we accomplish something like that for the team."

"You will, someday," Tsuchiya said. "The three of you have two years left in the club, so work hard and make them count."

"We will," Rokubungi said. "Everything we've accomplished is because we wanted to do so, and worked for it. The rest of the team has that spirit, too, so I'm confident there's still a chance, even now."

* * *

As Rabbit Team was hauled off the field, they were grimly aware of what the circumstances were. The next tank that joined them could only be Oarai's flag tank, which would signify their team's defeat.

"This is worse than ever," Ayumi said. "Ordinarily, while we'd hoped to do more, we could take solace in the fact that our senpais and teammates would keep up the fight. But now, only the flag tank's left."

"It's because everyone else has tried so far that we're still around," Yuuki said. "In matches like these, when were outnumbered two to one, all of our tanks must pull their weight."

A somber silence descended on the group. They recalled how they had fled their first match with another school, not even participating against the enemy. The other teams were at best inexperienced and at worst incompetent, but they had tried to fight against BC Freedom in spite of their disadvantages. Ashamed of their failure, Rabbit Team had promised to give their all and not run away again, even though many of their foes were much stronger than BC Freedom.

That courage and resolve had served them well thus far, but now, it seemed as though this was an enemy that took everything they had to defeat. The odds now looked as bleak as they did toward the end of the previous year's finals, but this time, Miho did not have the chance to fight the enemy commander one-on-one.

In spite of that, this was not the end. Rabbit Team would be the only team that would be entirely intact next year, but they would have one more year to fight for Oarai. There was still hope for the future, both in the next year, and even in the match.

"Do your best, senpais," Azusa said. "And know that if you lose, the six of us and our yearmates will pay Pravda back next year!"

* * *

The Atagos and Maho watched the match, almost on the edge of their seats. Oarai was down to its last tank, and while that one tank was Oarai's most skilled and resilient crew, it could not hold out forever. The Panzer IV was a piece of human technology, and its tracks could snap, its fuel and shells would eventually be exhausted, and with enough damage, the system would declare it no longer able to participate, even if the safety mechanisms protected the crew. Once it reached its limits, Pravda would be victorious.

Maho watched with silent solemnity. In most of Oarai's battles, they had been somewhat desperate to achieve victory, but Miho had ultimately been able to pull through. Maho still believed that Miho had what it took in order to win, but the chances of her being able to achieve that had become longer and longer, and perhaps she would soon reach the point at which it was no longer practically possible.

"Is something on your mind, Maho?" Masae said.

"I'm trying to find out if _anyone_ can win under these circumstances, Instructor Atago," Maho said, "mainly whether Miho could have ensured that the present circumstances are more favorable- if she didn't win outright- or whether she can still win as she is."

Hiroko shrugged, finding it hard to imagine what Miho knew or did not know, or calculate her odds. Instead, she decided to speak from her experience.

"There are some scenarios in which victory is essentially impossible," Hiroko said. "Some professional analysts of tankery matches have looked at some battles, and concluded that, after a certain point, even a professional commander with a team of similar quality would not be able to win."

"True," Maho said. "But does it necessarily _have to_ come to that point, Hiroko?"

"Maybe not, Maho," Hiroko said. "But having fought alongside Hiroe on more than a few losing battles, it's an interesting experience, and a chance for the leaders of the losing side to demonstrate many things about themselves."

"I agree, Hiroko," Masae said. "For a training exercise, I put some crews into an utterly hopeless scenario- facing several of their peers, along with a tank under my command- to teach them how to deal with defeat, and things not going according to plan."

"I, with a few of my colleagues, was the first one to take it," Hiroe said. "Of course, I was merely asked to help out with testing out a training exercise. I was always willing to help, and couldn't refuse an order."

Masae nodded. While her school was a far cry from the Nishizumi school, it valued discipline and she required the obedience of her subordinates, her daughter included.

"It was essentially a prototype, and some things had to be ironed out," Masae said. "To name one, Hiroe almost succeeded, although my tank was able to disable hers. I'd considered setting up a 'kill switch' for Hiroe's tank that I could operate remotely, but wanted her and those who took part in the lesson to experience actual defeat."

Hiroe paused as she thought back to the memories. It had been frustrating to lose, and she had feared losing face in front of her colleagues, but her mother had reassured her that she had done her best, and done as well as could be expected of her.

"It was something of a humbling experience for me," Hiroe said, "much like my first defeat as commander was. But I learned from that, and perhaps this match might also be helpful to Oarai in the long run, whether they win by the skin of their teeth or lose."

Maho nodded.

"That's possible," Maho said. "Learning from your mistakes is good, but I think the most important question while doing so is to ask where things went wrong. So, what do you think Miho's greatest mistake or stroke of misfortune is this time?"

The others pondered the question. They saw no potential for harm in answering it, since Miho would only hear about it after the end of the battle, if she had not figured it out already.

"I think the most important thing is that she hasn't had as many of the lucky breaks that she did last year," Masae said. "Even with the flag tank rule, defeating an enemy that outnumbers you two to one and often outguns you requires a fair bit of luck as well as skill. It took quite a few risky moves and the loss of the rest of Oarai's tanks for Miho to be able to get your tank alone, and even so, she barely defeated you. The same goes for her other matches, to various degrees, even if she did defeat Joghurt and Anzio relatively easily."

Maho nodded. She had anticipated Miho trying something like this, even if she hadn't anticipated her being able to seal the exit with the damaged remains of an Elefant.

"The tournament last year ended exactly as I hoped it would," Maho said. "Oarai was forced to fight until the end, but Miho triumphed. In a duel between her tank and mine, a situation enabled by her strategies, in which I fought without the superior might of my school, she was victorious. Her way of tankery was vindicated and her school remained open, while I had given my best for Black Forest, fulfilling my obligation even if I did not win. Things like the Nishizumi school's honor or Black Forest's winning streak mattered little in comparison."

Hiroe nodded with a reassuring smile.

"Don't get me wrong," Hiroe said. "Kinue sees Miho as a friend and was happy for her when she won the tournament last year. But unlike you, she's not the sort who sees Miho's happiness as her greatest goal, so that's why she can go all out against her without reservations."

"I know, Hiroe, and I respect your sister's resolve," Maho said. "But Miho has not been hesitating thus far, and has not given up yet. She still seems to be thinking through her options in hopes of finding a way for her team to win."

"I'd love to see her try," Hiroe said with a confident grin. "After all, it wouldn't be any fun for any of us if she just gave up."

* * *

Anglerfish Team pursued Kinue's tank through the woods and hills, with both teams exchanging fire. Their shots, hastily aimed at an evasive foe, fell short, striking the ground and trees.

Kinue's tank returned fire, and also missed Anglerfish Team, but Kinue's gun was not the only one trained on them. The four other remaining tanks- an IS-2, a KV-2, a T-34/76, and a T-34/85- were closing in. If Oarai stayed behind to fight them, they would be locked into a hopeless battle while Kinue escaped.

The nine eliminated teams, having been removed from the field and transported to the side of the arena, where they could watch the match, but not affect its outcome, watched with bated breath.

* * *

Unfortunately for Kinue, Oarai had an option to prevent such a battle from taking place, and it was more plausible than was comfortable for her. As Kinue made her way through a narrow path between hills, barely avoiding one of Anglerfish Team's shells, she knew that Oarai was getting closer, and she would soon run out of space to escape. Her four remaining tanks were in hot pursuit, but she worried that they would not be able to make the shot in time.

For a moment, all the doubts that Kinue had been able to overcome thus far about being able to live up to her sister surged back to her. Once again, she was in a precarious situation, and the slightest mistake could lead to defeat.

_"Is it going to end this way once again?" _Kinue thought. _"Will all my teammates' hard work and sacrifices be for nothing because of my mistake?"_

"Just hang in there a little longer, Comrade Commander!" Anastasia said to Kinue over the radio, from her IS-2. "We'll take out the Panzer IV soon!"

Kinue smiled and nodded. In two sentences, Anastasia had made it clear what she needed to do and why she needed to do it. When it was put that simply, it seemed easy enough even for her.

_"Thank you, Anastasia-chan," _Kinue thought. _"My friends, my team and my school are counting on me, and this time, I will not fail them."_

* * *

Anglerfish Team, however, had problems of their own. They were quickly running out of ammo, and were soon down to their last shell. Once again, they were the only team able to defeat their opponents once and for all, but this time, they would only have one more chance to do so.

"We only have one shell left," Yukari said. "We'll have to make our shot count."

"You can count on me," Hana said. "I will ensure that this next shot will be the last anyone fires in this match."

Anglerfish Team quickly pulled up behind Kinue's tank, taking it in their sights and aiming carefully. Hana, sure of her shot, reached for the trigger.

In the midst of all the chaos, a shell was fired. While many others were hastily fired and never reached their intended destinations, this one was carefully aimed, and flew, unimpeded, through the air to its target...

Oarai's flag tank.

The explosion could barely be heard above the din of the ensuing battle, but Anglerfish Team could feel their tank shake for the impact, before going still as the controls locked up. The rest of the Pravda tanks stopped firing upon seeing the hit, especially Suzu, who stared through the KV-2's sights to confirm that she had hit her target. Silence reigned for a moment, before briefly being broken by a single sound.

With a faint whoosh, the white flag raised on Oarai's last remaining tank.

"Pravda wins the tournament!" the announcer said.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I'd like to thank Stalker117 and KMT4ever for beta reading this.

Out of curiosity, did you anticipate this outcome happening?

Part of what I was hoping to show is how the previous finals would have gone if Miho had not succeeded in isolating Maho's tank for a one-on-one duel; Oarai is simply not able to stand against the might of Black Forest without picking off its tanks. Kinue is not as skilled of a commander as Maho or Miho, but she is very much aware of her own limitations and those of her opponents, using Pravda's advantage in numbers against Oarai.

Four chapters remain, including the aftermath of the match, Miho making an important decision about her future, a concluding chapter and finally, an epilogue.

**Character Analysis: Kinue Atago**

Kinue is the third of Miho's three primary rivals in her final year of high school, and arguably the relative dark horse among them. While Emi and some of her schoolmates have won the tournament before, and Erika is a graduate of the Nishizumi school, fewer people expect much out of Kinue, a late-bloomer in tankery teams. It's not entirely unjustified, as Kinue has relatively less tactical aptitude than Miho, Emi, Hiroe or Maho (but more than Erika), but it's unfair to dismiss her solely because of that, as Kinue has strengths of her own. She's humble enough to not underestimate her opponent, cool-headed enough to keep her composure when things look grim, and cognizant enough of her own shortcomings to know where and how her opponents might try to gain the upper hand on her. These traits enabled her to play well enough for Erika to make a fatal mistake first, and enabled her to use her greater strength against Miho in a war of attrition that Kinue ultimately won.

Canonically, Kinue is an interesting presence on the Himematsu team. She and her sister have a fairly loving relationship and Hiroe shows a tender and affectionate side around Kinue. Kinue does feel in awe of her sister and mother, and a certain amount of self-imposed pressure to be of use to the former. Of course, joining the Himematsu regular team does involve outperforming the other aspiring regulars, and while Kinue is unsuccessful in her first year, she pulls it off in her second.

One thus has to imagine how she will fare and what she will do once Hiroe, a third-year in Saki, has graduated, presumably after Himematsu loses in the semifinals. Perhaps she will find her own resolve and work to prove herself in her own right, while leading her team to victory. In this regard, her development is not unlike what Miho has had to do since the end of Little Army, even if her family's values do not run counter to hers. It's an ongoing process, but for now, Kinue has triumphed, and will celebrate along with her family, friends and teammates.


	39. For the Sake of the Future

**Chapter 30: For the Sake of the Future  
**

In the immediate aftermath of the match, Miho looked around at the rest of Anglerfish Team, still processing what had happened. In tankery, under the flag tank rule, matches were often decided by a single well-placed shot. Oarai's typical modus operandi was to, through various gambits, risks and sacrifices, gain an opportunity to make that one shot and win the match, while denying their opponents the opportunity to do the same. If they could defeat that one tank designated as the flag tank, while protecting the one tank on their team with the flag, they would be able to prevail against any school.

In spite of that hope, Oarai knew that they were vulnerable as well, and their luck would not hold out forever. Even as they felled Pravda tank after Pravda tank, more kept coming, and downing Anglerfish Team's protectors. They had almost succeeded in reaching Kinue, but one of the enemy's shells had made its mark on their tank, thereby dashing their hopes.

Miho looked around the battlefield, seeing many enemies and few friends in the vicinity, with a resigned expression on her face. It had been a long journey this year, and while she wished it could have ended differently, she had fun throughout the entire process.

"Don't feel down, Miporin," Saori said. "You did what you could."

"I suppose so," Miho said, comforted slightly. "In spite of that, I do believe that had I done better, we might have been victorious."

"Not many can honestly say the same, Nishizumi-dono," Yukari said. "Few else could have taken us this far with the tanks and people we have. I must say, though, that I'm glad you've realized that you can do this, too."

"You really think of it that way?" Miho said.

While Miho was always aware of how much her friends had supported her, from when they had defended her decision to abstain from tankery to when they comforted her after her most recent loss, she was surprised to hear her own words being viewed in such a light. For the longest time, she had judged herself in comparison to her sister and the rest of her family, and by the standards of a tankery style that was at odds with her as a person. Over time, at Oarai, she had taken charge of a team that was entirely unsuited to the Nishizumi doctrine, and led it to victory in the championship, thereby fulfilling her sister's advice to find her own way of tankery.

So when had Miho changed? When had she become able to express her belief that she could have defeated a school that severely outnumbered and outgunned her, and had won the tournament in the recent past? Perhaps it was when she had accomplished that feat the previous year. Perhaps it was as a result of fighting alongside teammates who only vaguely knew of the Nishizumi name's prestige, and knew too little of the school's tenets to judge her by them. Perhaps it was a long process that began when Miho began making decisions for herself, rather than for the sake of her family or the Nishizumi school. The only thing she knew for certain was that it had happened, and she had only just realized the process by which it had happened.

"Yep, Miporin," Saori said. "Perhaps the only piece of good advice I can give regarding love is that confidence doesn't need a long list of accomplishments or a body of experience, just you, yourself."

"From what we heard from you, I believe Atago-san realized this, as well," Hana said, "and so chose to do things for her own reasons, separate from her family."

"She did," Miho said. "For a long time, she found it difficult to catch up with her sister, and follow her mother's footsteps, but in the end, she succeeded."

Mako gave a rare smile.

"Even if she's not doing it for their sake, her family must be proud of her," Mako said wistfully, knowing that all of her own family was now dead and of Miho's family, only her sister could take unconditional joy in her accomplishments.

"I believe so, too," Miho said, "as is the rest of Pravda."

As Miho reached the side of the arena, she saw all her comrades in arms waiting for her, all of whom had seen the result on the large screen. Like her, they had time to process it, so they had come to terms with it. There was disappointment on their faces, but none of their blame was directed specifically at Miho.

Shizuru stepped forward, evidently aware of what was on Miho's mind, and had a slight but warm and reassuring smile on her face.

"Thank you for your hard work, Commander; you did your best," Shizuru said, a formal show of support that was no less indicative of her true feelings.

Miho smiled and nodded.

"Everyone did," Miho said. "Unfortunately for us, we can say the same about Pravda. Ultimately, though, _because_ we can say that, we must accept the outcome gracefully and respect what they have accomplished."

The tournament had ended in defeat for Oarai, but unlike last year, defeat would not result in their school shutting down. While Miho hoped to excel for the sake of building a strong team, in the end, once that was taken away, this was nothing more than another tankery match, and Oarai was just another one of the runners-up in the tournament.

There was only one thing left for to do; the same thing all of those they had defeated had done for them. It was time for the loser to honor and congratulate the victor, as a show of good sportsmanship after the end of a long struggle.

* * *

As the battle ended, Kinue looked around, at the few remaining tanks she had. Of the twenty tanks she started out with, only five remained in action at the end of the match. Had this been the semifinals, and Oarai had faced fewer tanks, Oarai would likely have prevailed.

Kinue's victory was not one that she could have accomplished without the effort and sacrifices made by the rest of the team. In that regard, she owed everyone who had come here on this day, and everyone else who had helped them in various ways, her gratitude.

But it was also a victory that she accomplished standing on her own. Her sister, her mother, her cousin, her coach and the senpais she admired had helped her in the past, but in the end, Kinue had led on the field. She drew from what they had taught her, but in the end, she had to find her own solution to the problem of defeating the opponents before her, Oarai and Black Forest in particular. In hindsight, it no longer seemed as daunting as it was when she first accepted the position of commander.

Kinue felt as though she still had some ways to go before she could truly match many of those she admired, and still had to prepare Pravda for after her graduation- allowing Anastasia to ease into her responsibilities as commander, training newer members and continuing to practice, among other things. But for today, she felt as though she could stand on her own and do her part, triumphing her own way with the help of those closest to her.

"Everyone, _we_ are victorious," Kinue said over the radio. "Before we head back for the post-game, I would like to congratulate you all... and thank you."

* * *

Inside the stands, Pravda's fans celebrated. Katyusha and Nonna let off cheers in Russian, while Ryuuka and Sera cheered in Japanese. Toki, sitting up, simply gave a weary but satisfied smile as she saw her more energetic friends' celebrations.

Suehara Kyouko, an old friend and senpai of Suzu's, confidently smiled. She was the one who had convinced Hiroe to give Suzu a chance, even considering Suzu's less than impressive beginnings as a gunner, and even though she had a sort of "tough love" for Suzu that involved writing on her head with a pen, she always believed in her. As such, Kyouko was glad, for both their sakes, that her trust in Suzu had been well placed.

_"Well, what do you know, Suzu?" _Kyouko thought. _"It looks like I forgot my pen this time."_

* * *

As the Atagos celebrated, Maho let off a soft sigh. It had been a little over a year since she had, in the hopes of fulfilling her duties as heiress for Miho's sake, shot Kinue's flag tank, resulting in Pravda's defeat and causing Kinue to blame herself. Back then, while Kinue was a stranger rather than a friend, Maho felt a sense of empathy for her, but did what she must. So, too, did she feel this way in response to the current tournament's outcome, even though Miho had been defeated.

_"As much as I had hoped for a different outcome, I can't fault you for striving for victory, Kinue," _Maho thought. _"Not after I defeated your team last year. Not since you have a similar goal to Miho's. In any case, congratulations."_

"AWESOME JOB, KINUE!" Hiroe cheered at the top of her lungs. She then stopped suddenly as she noticed a tear of joy running down her mother's face, which also had a beaming smile on it. "Mom?"

"It's nothing, Hiroe," Masae said. "It's just that I'm so proud of both of you."

While disappointed that Miho had lost, Maho could not help but be touched by seeing a mother express pride in her daughters.

"Kinue and her team did quite well today," Maho said. "I'd like to express my congratulations to them."

"Thanks, Maho, " Hiroe said, "but I don't rest on my laurels, and neither does Kinue. Perhaps I'll get to face you again next year, this time with both of our sisters on our side. That'd be quite a match, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, it certainly would," Maho said. "It's been two years since I last fought alongside Miho, one year since Kinue has been on your team, and we haven't ever had both happen at the same time."

Maho left unspoken how she realized Miho would not necessarily be on that side at that point. The decision of where Miho would go once her time in high school ended was hers to make, and Maho could only believe, as she did in the past, that Miho would make the best choice for herself.

* * *

Miho's friends, witnessing her defeat, had a variety of reactions. None of them hoped for this outcome, but all of them had to concede that it was likely to happen.

"Scheiße..." Emi muttered. "Miho was _so_ close..."

Rinkai had, among all its opponents, paid special attention to Black Forest, Oarai and Pravda. Pravda's performance had impressed Emi, particularly defeating Black Forest but she believed that Miho could have prevailed against them.

"Still, that is quite something," Hitomi said. "Miho-chan definitely got a lot further than my school could, and did better than we did when we lost to Emi-chan and the others."

"Yeah," Chihiro said. "You can't win all the time, in soccer or in tankery, but when you lose, I'd rather have it be this way."

Emi nodded.

"That's happened to me a lot, now that I think about it," Emi said, "from the time Maho and her crew beat us when we were little kids, to when Miho's school beat mine. I probably wouldn't have ever gotten good enough to win the championship if I hadn't gotten my butt kicked so often, which is why I think the Nishizumi school's tenet of 'victory without fail' is a pile of..."

"Yeah, I get it, Emi-chan," Chihiro said, cutting Emi off. "I've certainly never heard of a soccer team on the high school level winning three years in a row, much less ten."

"I know that I heard the girls from the Nishizumi school have to train really hard," Hitomi said, "but I also believe that failing and not getting what you want can force you to improve yourself and keep trying until you do. Even if you don't succeed, I think you'll have gotten something worthwhile out of it in the process."

"You're probably right, Hitomi," Emi said, "which is why I think Oarai will do just fine without Miho around."

* * *

The Rinkai girls watched with a variety of emotions. All of the girls who watched the match knew that if things had gone differently, they might have been the ones facing Pravda. Of course, when some brought up that possible scenario, others said that in another possibility, Black Forest might have been the other contender.

"There's no denying it; Oarai did deserve their victory last year," Satoha said. "Of course, Pravda also deserved their victory two years ago, so it's not unreasonable that they would be able to triumph again today."

"Oarai did well, all things considered," Hao said. "Most schools with this few tanks would be unable to lose with any dignity, much less nearly win."

"True; it's not as though Pravda's victory was guaranteed, either," Satoha said. "We were left guessing until the end, just how we wanted it. We might be merely spectators in this, but a level playing field doesn't just give more schools a shot at the championship, but it makes for better entertainment."

"Yeah," Emi said. "It's a shame I can't stick around to see how we'll do against them, next year."

"You can leave that to us, Emi," Myeonghwa said. "Our work in building Rinkai's tankery team up is far from over, so we'll

* * *

Koala Forest watched the outcome, sitting on blankets near the screen. As the rest of the team was frozen in shock, Touka angrily thrust her fist into the sky.

"This cannot be!" Touka said. "Nishizumi Miho is forbidden from losing to any opponent other than I, desu wa!"

Hajime chuckled slightly.

"I'm betting that you're angrier about this defeat than anyone on Oarai's team is at the moment, Touka," Hajime said. "Since Nishizumi-san doesn't believe in victory above all else, it's understandable that she'd be more or less fine with this outcome."

"Well, we don't really believe in that, either," Jun said. "And it's still kind of frustrating to lose, even if such matches can also be quite fun."

"There's something humbling to see so many out there who are better than you," Tomoki said. "The ranking system on the online game I play minimizes the likelihood that I'll face an opponent far above your skill level, but I still face many difficult opponents. Just as Anteater Team had difficult matches with me, I once narrowly lost to a professional player."

Koromo smiled.

"Then that is most pleasing," Koromo said. "There will be plenty of worthy challengers for Koromo next year!"

The five girls, all in their second year of high school, all were grateful for yet another year of high school, and yet another chance for Koala Forest to prove itself against its rivals. Oarai would likely be similarly eager to try again, so the five girls relished the chance to face their rival one more time, while watching Oarai take on all comers.

* * *

Kei and Kazue, sitting together not far from the Koala forest group, watched the end of the finals, still unsure what to think of the outcome.

"For a long time, I was not certain who I was rooting for, or who would win this match," Kei said. "This year, I lost to both Nishizumi-san and Atago-san."

"Having hard feelings over the loss does not seem very much like you, Arakawa-san," Kazue said.

"That's not it, Nanpo-san," Kei said. "When I face an opponent, I experience their determination first-hand, come to know their skill and get some idea of what they're fighting for. When I lose to a worthy opponent with a good reason for fighting, I can't help but cheer them on."

Kazue nodded.

"That's a good perspective," Kazue said. "For too long, I believed that my comrades' motivations, to say nothing of those of my rivals, did not compare to mine. But seeing Oarai fight so hard and come this far has given me some idea of what I can do."

Kei found Kazue's sentiments understandable. She, too, had faced little competition for the position of commander at her school, and at times found her teammates' lack of motivation frustrating. But rather than give up or imagine herself superior to her teammates, she pressed on, hoping to inspire them to accomplish something significant, knowing that what she was asking of them was not unprecedented.

"My high school career has been an interesting time," Kei said. "For nine years, Black Forest has reigned as the undefeated champions, and for the past three years, it has been defeated every time. Naturally, the hope of being one of the schools that succeeds at that is an encouraging prospect"

"I have noticed that as well, Arakawa-san," Kazue said. "But in two of those cases, Pravda, a school comparable to Black Forest, was the victor. Having fought against Black Forest in the quarterfinals, you should understand their strength."

"I do, Nanpo-san," Kei said. "But while underdogs' chances of success are often slim, as long as they have nothing to lose by trying, they have no reason not to take it.

Kazue nodded with a resolute smile on her face. Perhaps, all this time, she should not have been thinking of how her grandmother would fare, but thinking about those in similar situations as her.

"I have no idea how far I will get in my third year, or even what I should consider a good target" Kazue said. "But I'll put all of my effort into seeing it through to the end, and ensuring I do as well as possible."

* * *

Oarai and Pravda's commanders exchanged bows at the match. The struggle had been a long and hard-fought one, but there were no hard feelings. The two sides had fought for the same purposes, so they chose to part on good terms, as they went their separate ways once the year ended.

"Congratulations, Kinue-san," Miho said, extending her hand for a handshake.

"Thank you, Miho-chan," Kinue said, shaking her hand. "But, if I may ask, how are your teammates taking this?"

"Fairly well," Miho said. "They knew that it would likely happen at this point, in spite of their efforts. They had hoped it would not end this way."

"I'm glad to hear that," Kinue said. "As someone who started out as a benchwarmer, I can say that your junior members of the tankery team, and the newcomers who will arrive in years to come, will be your team's future. The efforts they make in persisting, improving and contributing to the team will ultimately determine how enduring, strong and healthy your team will be."

Miho thought of the various benchwarmers on her team, who were unable to accompany them into tankery battle, but were still part of the team. Their turn to help would come in the future, and until it did, Miho would do what she could to help them learn tankery.

"I believe in my teammates, as I always have," Miho said. "That's why our team was able to prevail against Koala Forest without me, and why I believe Oarai will remain strong in the future."

"That's good to hear, Nishizumi-san," Anastasia said. "Perhaps your school and mine may yet have the chance to face each other next year."

"I'm looking forward to the prospect," Nodoka said.

"That will certainly be worth watching, Haramura-san," Kinue said. "Show me what you can do in the future."

Oarai's commanders nodded in response. They had been defeated in their first match with BC Freedom, and often teetered on the brink of defeat in the matches they had ultimately won.

* * *

As the two teams began to disperse, Kinue and Miho walked toward the stands. As they approached they were greeted by the other Atagos and Maho.

"Congratulations, Kinue," Masae said. "You, your sister, Hiroko and everyone else on your respective teams did a wonderful job this year."

"Thanks, Mom," Kinue said.

Masae then turned to Miho.

"You also fought well, Miho," Masae said. "Having the courage to face those odds is commendable, and being able to progress as far as you did is no mean feat. Having fought Black Forest and narrowly been defeated, I understand and respect those who do their best, even in a losing battle."

"Thank you, Instructor Atago," Miho said.

Hiroe nodded.

"Yeah, even if I was hoping Kinue would win, I was hoping you'd give Kinue a hell of a fight, Miho," Hiroe said. "I wasn't disappointed, and the only regret I have is that I never got to face you myself."

"Yes, I agree," Miho said. "But you may yet get another chance in the future."

"Sounds good," Hiroe said. "You, Kinue and some other people I know are moving on up to the next level. Be they family, friends or rivals, I'm looking forward to seeing them there."

Miho nodded in agreement, before saying goodbye to the Atagos, and leaving them and Pravda to their celebrations.

* * *

As the Atagos walked off to celebrate their victory, Maho turned to Miho, hoping to allow Miho to express anything she felt she couldn't express in front of her teammates or rivals. Miho had become a commander, much like Maho was, and while Oarai had none of the strictness associated with Black Forest or the Nishizumi school, Miho did, at times, have to be mindful of the image she presented.

"You did as well as you could, Miho," Maho said, placing a hand on Miho's shoulder.

"I know, Onee-chan," Miho said. "But what about Mother? What is her perspective on all this?"

"I haven't heard from her yet," Maho said. "Before the match, she bitterly noted that no matter who won, one of those who had humiliated her school would take the championship."

"I thought so," Miho said. "That's how she'd feel as head of the Nishizumi school, about a match that cannot possibly advance the school's interests."

Maho nodded, but Miho could tell that she was not finished talking about their mother.

"This may just be me, but I think a part of her wanted you to win," Maho said. "In the end, when her school isn't on the line, she hopes that you succeed. Once she steps away from her school, she's another parent and, at least on some level, roots for her daughter."

"I know," Miho said. "I simply wish Mother would be able to gain the perspective needed to do so more often."

Maho paused to consider what Miho had said. Miho did not see tankery as a zero-sum game, with one side winning and all others losing, but one in which all could benefit, and her own defeat had not diminished that belief. In the same regard, she had some understanding for her mother's desire to keep her school strong, but did not believe that the entire family had to be subordinate to that goal.

"For better or worse, Mother has always put the school first," Maho said. "She believes that it's a mission to which all of us must contribute, and which will benefit all of us." Maho paused. "In spite of that, I do have to wonder whether the way Mother has gone about supporting it over the years is the _only_ way to do so, and I believe Mother is starting to realize that as well."

"I hope so, too, Onee-chan," Miho said.

The two sisters said goodbye for the moment and parted ways. The two of them, as well as their mother, knew very well what they valued most, but how would they go about achieving it? For Shiho, the answer no longer seemed to clear, and there was hope for her.

* * *

As Oarai's school ship pulled out of the harbor, the student council walked up to Miho, who was staring out at the sea, accompanied by the rest of Anglerfish Team.

"So, Miho, how are you holding up?" Shizuru said, stepping out of her student council persona to confirm something of a personal nature.

"Fairly well, all things considered," Miho said. "Everyone was quite supportive in the aftermath of our defeat."

Miho's friends nodded in agreement.

"I think I have some idea of how they felt," Ayano said. "They understood that you were doing your best, as were they. Perhaps they realized that not everything you did was perfect, but they didn't have any ideas of what they could do differently. "

"Perhaps not," Miho said. "But just as Shizuru-san was inspired to lead so that she could do better than her predecessors, I hope someone else will be similarly inspired to replace me, and lead Oarai to victory next year."

Shizuru nodded. For both her and Miho, their desire for the school's well being did not end with their tenure in their respective leadership positions. Even if they were no longer able to directly effect change, they would continue to watch over it in years to come, even as their own lives took them in separate directions, far away from each other and Oarai.

While Miho was hardly an ambitious individual, her time in tankery was a long process upward, from commanding a tank full of her friends as a young girl to commanding a championship-winning team in high school. Before long, she would graduate and be separated from her friends again, and once again have to adjust to a new school the same way she had adjusted to Oarai. Miho counted herself fortunate to have found a niche at a school like Oarai, and wondered whether she could say the same about her new one.

The future ahead of Miho was uncertain, and her decisions would not be easy, but she knew what she wanted, and needed only to understand how she wished to get it.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

It's interesting to see how Miho develops over time, even in canon, when she becomes noticeably more confident as the tournament goes on. Of course, even when she was younger, she did not blindly do things for the sake of her family, as shown in Little Army, when she resolved to find her own way of tankery in the end, and transferred to Oarai over her parents' objections. In short, Miho is a stronger individual than many fanfic writers give her credit for, and it can at times be challenging to portray her as a relatively meek yet determined individual.

There will be two more chapters and an epilogue before this story ends.


	40. An Essential First Step

**Chapter 31: An Essential First Step  
**

Several weeks after the finals, Maho sat before Shiho in the living room of the Nishizumi family home. She had been called home alone to discuss matters relating to the family.

The discussion began with news about Homura, who had recently been released from the hospital, but was still recovering at home. When he said hello to his elder daughter, he mentioned that his condition was steadily improving, and he was starting to undergo physical therapy. He was grateful for this development, and eager to resume work, so that he could once again do his part for the family, and put his energy into an outlet that benefited the Nishizumi family and school.

If Maho or Miho had hoped that the crisis would have become a catalyst that forced the Nishizumis to rethink their family, and learn to value family bonds over success and their legacy, the sisters would have been disappointed. Their mother had long since made it clear that she was not someone who was so easily moved by sentimental matters. Her husband being so badly injured and hospitalized had been hard on her, but it had not significantly shaken the values that Shiho had held dear to her for her entire life.

Neither had her school's third consecutive defeat, or her daughter losing in the finals of her first university level tournament. In the end, Shiho still most desired that her school be successful and well-regarded, but she was starting to question how this could be achieved, and why they had recently failed to do it.

"I've come to a realization over the course of the last two years," Shiho said. "The problems facing our school cannot be laid at Miho's feet any longer. She is simply one person who, practicing her own style of tankery, managed to defeat the Nishizumi style. Others, including the Atago sisters, have done so as well, so this is clearly not a case of her holding us back or causing us to lose face."

"So what do you believe this means, Mother?" Maho said, with cautious optimism in her voice. Shiho's implication that she was no longer blaming Miho was a promising sign, but Maho knew better than to expect Shiho to have changed her values overnight.

"It's possible the Nishizumi school may need to adapt to the times in order to survive," Shiho said. "Changing our ways of doing things may be necessary to win at all, much less succeed by our standards. Change and compromise are bitter pills to swallow, but I have always been willing to do _anything_ to uphold our family's good name, and compromise may be one step."

"What are you telling me to do, Mother?" Maho said. "What changes do you believe the Nishizumi school must undergo?"

Much to Maho's surprise, Shiho did not immediately answer, appearing lost in thought for a moment. Some believed the Nishizumi school was reliant on tradition, almost to the point of being anti-intellectual, but Shiho, having spent decades practicing and teaching tankery, knew the Nishizumi style well and was confident in it, using it as its answer to myriad tankery-related questions. But today, that confidence was no longer there, and Shiho no longer seemed sure of her answer.

"I believe you'll have to find the answer," Shiho said. "It's a process that won't be solved overnight, nor will it be one that ends in my or your lifetimes unless we choose to give up on it. Even if we do find an answer to our problems, it may not stay the correct one for long"

Maho paused to consider what her mother was saying. It was a thought she had to consider when weighing how best to change the Nishizumi school, which she knew to be a process that was longer, more difficult and had less of a clear answer than serving as heiress for Miho's sake. In spite of that, Maho had willingly chosen to go through that process for Miho, and now that she had started to gain more of an appreciation for the potential for change she had, she was willing to take on this challenge as well.

"Perhaps it's not a short or easy process, but now is as good a time as any to start," Maho said. "It is my duty as heiress, and also my personal desire, to help with this process. "

"That's good to hear," Shiho said. "So what plans do you have, Maho? I suppose it's too early to expect you to have a comprehensive plan, but at this point, a starting point is good."

Maho nodded. Hiroko had made it clear to her that she had a long way to go before she could tackle the proble, but she had some idea of where to start.

"I plan on connecting with some people I have done tankery in the past, who now are rethinking their methods of doing it," Maho said. "Perhaps their mindsets will be best suited to the changing Nishizumi style, and with their help, I can once again lead my troops to victory. What I learn from this process could very well become good lessons to teach my students."

Shiho nodded.

"I think I know at least one of the individuals you have in mind," Shiho said. "But whether she will choose to help is another matter, and you likely can't compel her any more than I could."

Maho nodded, understanding what Shiho was getting at. The person in question had not yet made her decision, despite having come to a new understanding of how to do tankery the earliest. But she was also the person whose cooperation Maho most needed, and who Maho most wanted by her side.

"I never had any desire to do so, Mother," Maho said. "As always, my greatest priority is for Miho to make her own decisions for her own reasons. That said, I do hope the one she makes will be one that will make her happy."

* * *

A few weeks after the end of the tournament, Miho joined the Skype conversation that her sister had set up to discuss her university plans. She recognized several different people there. Her sister was on, as she expected, but Erika and Teru were also in the conversation.

"Hello, everyone," Miho said, and the various participants responded in kind.

"It looks like, with the exception of Akasaka-senpai, you've gathered all your vice-captains here, Maho," Teru said.

"Yes; in various senses, all of you were the people I worked most closely with in high school," Maho said. "Apart from my being expected to keep a certain professional distance from most people, I didn't talk with most people on the team very closely, if at all. Teams that size often become fairly impersonal, although I do try to know who's on the team and what they're capable of."

Miho silently concurred. She got along well with the rest of her team, but was only close friends with her team, as well as a handful outside of it.

"In any case, Miho, I'd like to congratulate you on how well you did in the tournament," Teru said. "In my middle school years, I was lucky to get anywhere near the finals. In spite of that, for the first two years, I was happy."

A somber silence ensued for a moment. Everyone knew what had happened four years ago, even if of the other three, only Maho and Miho knew the significance. As such, Miho and Maho had been pleased to hear that Teru was planning on returning to tankery to do it once again, simply because she enjoyed it and hoped to do it alongside Saki one day.

"Indeed; reaching the finals and nearly winning with the resources and people you have at your disposal is quite an accomplishment," Erika said, "especially compared to what I managed with mine."

"Thank you, Teru-san, Erika-san," Miho said. "And Erika-san, I'm glad to hear you also got into my sister's university."

"Thanks, Miho," Erika said. "But didn't you also succeed?"

"I was accepted into Rhineland and a few other places," Miho said, "but have yet to officially confirm which one I will attend. Unfortunately, at this point, I'm still not sure where I want to go. Part of me is inclined to join my sister at Rhineland, but..."

Miho trailed off, finding it difficult to precisely and succinctly describe her reservations about making such a decision.

"What reason would you have for not wanting to go there?" Erika said. "It's probably the best school out there for those interested in tankery, with Romanov coming in a close second. You should forget about holding out for a school like Oarai, since none of those you considered fit the bill."

Miho silently conceded what Erika had said. The vast majority of those doing tankery in university had done so in high school, in contrast to how most of Oarai had joined the team as beginners.

"There are a few factors I have to consider," Miho said. "As far as academics go, Rhineland seems like the best place, although one of the other schools that accepted me is comparably good. But as far as tankery goes, it's a more complicated question. The only thing I'm sure about is that I still want to do tankery in university."

Maho smiled slightly upon hearing Miho's last remark. In that regard, Miho had come a long way since the finals two years ago, realizing that she loved tankery and could do it her own way.

"Did your mother say anything about this, Miho?" Teru said. "I would think she would have her preferences, and would want to weigh in on this in some way."

"Mother gave me some useful analysis of the pros and cons of the universities I was considering," Miho said. "But when I asked her which one she wanted me to choose, she said, with an amused slight smile, 'Why would I do something like that, Miho? In the end, you'll choose whatever you want.' I couldn't entirely argue with that."

"Essentially, that's what Mother feels, Teru," Maho said. "She's given up on trying to force Miho to do tankery the Nishizumi way." But after a pause, Maho realized that Miho was not convinced. "But you're still worried that Mother may impose her will or hold you to her standards, aren't you, Miho?"

"Well, yes, Onee-chan," Miho said. "I can't help but worry that, if I go to the same school as you, I will also be expected to uphold the Nishizumis' creed once again. As tempting as the prospect of going to school and doing tankery with you is, _that_ was the reason why I left Black Forest."

Erika and Teru silently agreed with Miho.

"You said 'the Nishizumis' creed,' Miho," Maho said, and Miho remained silent to get her to elaborate. "I understand that you cannot agree with our policy of winning at all costs, but is that what we're about any more?"

"Are you saying that it's changing, Onee-chan?" Miho said.

"It may be," Maho said. "To put it simply, Miho, the Nishizumi school is in the process of redefining itself, and I'd like you to play a part in that process. Just as you redefined yourself and found a new way of tankery at Oarai Academy, Teru has been rethinking why she does tankery over the past year- culminating in her decision to resume doing tankery for its own sake. Similarly, Erika's defeat this year has forced her to reconsider her ideals as well. In order to keep winning at all, much less at the rate we've been expected to win until now, we will have to rethink our ideals."

"That's asking a great deal of me, Onee-chan," Miho said. "Even when I was at Oarai, fighting for the school to stay open, I was not fighting for the sake of anyone outside the school."

"I know," Maho said. "My original goal was for you to be free of such responsibilities, so that you could enjoy tankery with your friends. Over time, however, I've started to wonder whether my inheritance of the school might be an opportunity, and the same can be said of this proposal as well. Mother's eyes will be on us, but we have a possibility of building a new and better school, one that you would be happy to represent or train under."

Miho's eyes lit up. In the past, the ruthless dedication to victory her mother and many other Nishizumi disciples possessed, and the expectation for her to emulate such people was the greatest obstacle to her enjoying tankery. The thought of successfully changing that was an enticing prospect, but the difficulty of the task was also intimidating.

After several seconds of silence, Miho spoke.

"That sounds promising, but I'll still need to think about it, Onee-chan," Miho said. "It's not an easy decision, by any means."

"I know," Maho said, "and that's why I hope you'll be able to make the choice that's right for you. Let's talk about this again soon."

"I will," Miho said. "I'd like to talk to some of my friends, first."

After saying goodbye, the four girls signed off. Miho then began to write down a list of names of people who could help her come to an understanding of her decision.

* * *

The next night, Miho had dinner at her apartment with her friends from Anglerfish Team, telling her about her conversation with her sister and some of her former schoolmates from Black Forest. The others remained silent as she told them what she had said and heard, as well as the thoughts she had since then.

"Essentially, I'm trying to figure out whether I'll be happy going to Rhineland," Miho said, "and whether my sister's proposal will have the results we desire."

"I think it's something you can only decide for youself, Nishizumi-dono," Yukari said. "It's just like when you came to Oarai, isn't it?

"That's true, Yukari-san," Miho said. "At the time, I was leaving behind my old school and everyone I knew to go to one that I knew relatively little about, merely because it _did not_ have tankery, and it ultimately turned out to be the right decision. All the same, I am curious about one thing; have you made your decisions on where you'll be going?"

The others sighed, wondering how to tell her. Mako, however, decided to speak first.

"I hate to break it to you, Miho," Mako said, "but none of us are going to the same place as each other, nor are we considering either of the schools you mentioned."

Miho simply sighed. She knew that her friends, with their differing career aspirations, thus weighed schools differently, and a school that might be well-suited to one member of the group might be completely useless to the others. In spite of that, it was somewhat disheartening to hear that none of her friends were going to university together. Even Yukari, the one who most wanted to go to the same school as Miho, did not have good enough grades to stand a chance at getting in.

"I see," Miho said. "I was prepared for something like this happening, although it doesn't necessarily make my decision any easier."

"It's not like I don't understand what you're dealing with," Mako said. "Saro's planning on joining the police. Myeonghwa's got one more year left in high school, then she's going to college in France. I'm considering going to Shiina and Natsumi's school, but no one else I know is."

"Yeah," Saori said. "Kaorin's the only one I know well who's going to the same university as I am."

"I know that I'm not the only one who will have to face this decision in the near future, or who has multiple considerations to think of," Miho said. "But my family does make it somewhat more difficult."

"You want to do tankery, but you want to do it your own way?" Yukari said.

Miho nodded. The single most important lesson she had learned throughout high school was the clearest thing to her.

"That's essentially it," Miho said. "I suppose that Oarai, a team with people who had little experience, was essentially a blank slate, and was most flexible as far as my developing my own style went. Can I say the same for an established university?"

Miho's mind went to Maginot. The school had come up when she had talked with Kinue on the phone recently, and Kinue said that Eclair had taken many risks and garnered the dislike of a good portion of the team in the process of bringing about her vision of change. Miho had been somewhat disheartened to hear this, although she found Kinue telling her that Eclair had no regrets about it to be somewhat reassuring.

"I don't know what to say," Yukari said. "I would say to not let others influence your actions and do whatever feels right to you, but it isn't that simple, is it?"

Miho hesitantly shook her head. There was a distinction between accepting advice and relying on- or being controlled by- someone else. She believed that the former, rather than dictating the choices one made, helped one understand the choice, and therefore choose what was best. Perhaps with the right insights, the choice would be simpler and making the right decision would be easy.

"It might be," Miho said. "I'm planning on searching out more advice, from someone who does speak plainly and sees things as simple matters. Perhaps that perspective may be what I need to make a decision without hesitation or regrets."

* * *

A few hours later, Miho got in touch with her old friends from elementary school, and told them what she had told the rest of her crew.

"I honestly don't know what we can say that the others didn't, Miho," Emi said. "I'm going back to Germany, and as far as I know, Hitomi and Chihiro have plans of their own."

"Yeah," Chihiro said. "Once again, I'm going to a popular sports school, while Hii-chan's going to a tankery school... and the two aren't one and the same."

"Besides, I don't think I could help you much here, Miho-chan," Hitomi said. "Apart from what I hear from my crew's commander, I barely know anything about running a team."

"I see," Miho said. "I thought so, but wanted to hear from you."

"You probably know this on some level by now," Emi said, "but this is something that you'll have to figure out for yourself, just like your sister is doing at this point. Having come to find my own way of tankery, I realize how difficult finding your own path is, but also know how important it is, as well."

"That's true," Miho said. "Oarai was a place conducive to that since there wasn't any firmly established ideology, but I can't say the same for Rhineland.."

"Maybe not," Emi said. "But the team listens to the commander, and the commander will listen to you, so you should have a chance."

"Perhaps," Miho said. "But even if my sister and I have authority, it won't be an easy process, or a short one."

"I know, and that's what I learned in my time in Germany," Emi said. "In retrospect, it probably wasn't fair for me to expect you to come to a decision before I left, even if I hoped to have the satisfaction of knowing that you'd gotten started on it."

Miho shook her head.

"As they say, 'a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,' Emi-chan," Miho said. "Still, it does feel a bit lonely going all that way by myself."

"You won't be alone, Miho," Emi said. "Your sister aside, I'm sure your other friends will be watching you over and cheering you on, wherever they are, and we're no exception. Good luck, Miho."

Miho smiled. Emi had never been one for platitudes or insincere compliments, so when she said something of that, she meant it. It was the only support she could give to Miho in this endeavor, but it was nevertheless invaluable, and Miho hoped to continue to keep in touch with Emi in the years to come.

* * *

Miho decided to place a call to Hiroe for advice, successfully reaching her the afternoon of the next day.

"Hi, Miho," Hiroe said.

"Hello, Hiroe-san," Miho said. "I was hoping to ask you for some advice."

"It's about university, right?" Hiroe said. "Your sister told me a little about the decision you were facing, but said you hadn't committed to anything yet. She asked me to answer your questions if you had any, but not push you toward anything."

"I see," Miho said. She was long used to her friends picking up on when she was feeling troubled, even if she was hesitant to admit it directly. The current situation was less troubling than some of those she had been in the past, but it was a difficult decision that would shape her life in the next four years and the future beyond.

"You can probably blame me for this," Hiroe said. "Your sister and I were talking much earlier, and at some point during the convention, the idea got in her head that she could change the Nishizumi school."

"Did she say that she no longer was content with how things were?" Miho said.

"That's only part of it," Hiroe said. "She said that all these years, she'd thought of being heiress as a burden she'd bear so that you wouldn't have to. But now, she's moving forward and making her own decisions. I have to say, I like that sort of determination."

Hiroe was different from her mother in some regards, preferring a somewhat more laid-back approach to leadership. While her mother was somewhat stricter and more distant, albeit not nearly on the same level as Shiho, she found her daughter's approach a potentially viable one, even as she cautioned her that starting out on the strict side while establishing her authority might work well.

Miho nodded, finding what Hiroe said about Maho's opinions familiar.

"So do I," Miho said. "I've done what I could to become stronger willed and support her in this, but I do have to wonder; is there a place for my own way of tankery in the effort to revitalize the Nishizumi school?"

"I can't say for certain about your mother, Miho, but your sister wants you, more than anyone else, as part of that effort," Hiroe said. "Perhaps free thinkers like you who win against greater odds are what the Nishizumis need after decades of obsession with victory and ruthless determination."

"That's true," Miho said. "But what if Mother tries to force me to do things her way again? Can my sister oppose her if it comes to that?"

Hiroe paused, considering the Nishizumi family's perspective. In her family, her mother said that the option to resign from her post was always available.

"That's a good question," Hiroe said. "But as much as I hate your mom's guts, I've also noticed that she's admitted that she can't bring you to heel even with the threat of disowning you. That's quite the admission from someone like her."

"Indeed," Miho said. "I was shocked when I first heard it, because Mother does not make idle threats. On the other hand, it is perhaps more difficult for Mother to admit when she is wrong, so the fact that she has effectively done so is all the more surprising."

"Yeah," Hiroe said. "I'm not about to forgive her for what she put you and Maho through- although Mom says that you and Maho are the only ones who can do so. In spite of that, I think that you should go for it and accept your sister's proposal, if for no other reason than that it's nice to do tankery with your sister."

Miho smiled, remembering how excited Kinue was to have gotten into Romanov, and all her own happy memories doing tankery with Maho.

"I will," Miho said. "Thank you for talking with me, Hiroe-san."

"Not a problem, Miho," Hiroe said. "Send my regards to Maho."

Miho felt as though she had made up her mind, but a small amount of hesitation and indecision remained. But then she remembered what she had heard from Shizuru, and realized that some degree of doubt, especially for a degree like this was natural. She would not let it stop her from doing what she must, but she always believed it was what made her human. Perhaps that touch of humanity would be what the Nishizumi school needed, rather than its perfectionist ideals.

* * *

Miho logged into Skype, having asked Maho to call the others together, and let them know her decision.

"Thank you for coming, Erika-san, Teru-san," Miho said. "My sister may have told you this, but I would like to announce that I have finalized my decision to come to your school."

"Again, I'm glad to hear that, Miho," Maho said.

"As am I," Teru said. "As someone who also walked away from tankery only to return to it, I know better than most that no one can tell you how to do tankery. It's a decision that you must make yourself, and I'm glad you have done so."

"So is Saki-san," Miho said, having heard first-hand from Saki about Teru's decision, as well as from Teru herself.

"I do have a request, Miho," Erika said, "one that I also made to your sister recently. I'd like for the two of us to start over, in a sense."

"What do you mean, Erika-san?" Miho said.

"I always judged you by the person I hoped you would be, rather than the person you are," Erika said, "in particular, by the standards of the Nishizumi school, which you chose not to meet. I never looked past your sister's facade as the ideal Nishizumi tanker to see the person beneath. And I don't think I ever truly knew Teru at all."

"Few people did back when you and I first met, Erika," Teru said. "Of course, it was in large part because I refused to allow many people close to me. That, among many other things, is changing, now that I'm starting over, in a sense."

"I suppose all of us are starting over, in a sense, Erika," Maho said, "and Miho has done so before the rest of us. But even if we're going down a new path, we still have the skill and determination that brought us down the one we've walked until now."

Miho knew a great many things about the future were still uncertain, and that whatever path she chose would be long and difficult for her. But even if her friends from Oarai were going their separate ways, she would not walk it alone.

"You're right, Onee-chan," Miho said. "Whatever the future holds for our school, we'll face it together."

Miho knew that at the moment, she had done little for this new effort but make promises, just like she had when she had told Emi that she would find her own way of tankery. But now, like back then, she had made an essential first step, and had acquired the confidence she needed to see the process through to an end she and those closest to her could be happy with.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

This chapter can be thought of as a first step toward change, for the Nishizumi school and some of its students. It will be up to Miho, Maho, and many others to see this process to the end throughout the coming months and years.

This also looks at Shiho's development. She still is primarily focused on her school's success, but has become more flexible about her methods, which could not only lead to greater success, but also possibly a better relationship with her daughters. It's meant to show Shiho taking a step beyond her single-minded obsession without giving up the pursuits to which she has dedicated her life.

The next chapter will deal with the others' future plans between the finals and graduation, and it will be followed by an epilogue chapter.

Edited to add in a scene in which Miho consults her old friends.

Now for the final Character Analysis, one last look at how the heroine of the series has developed over time.

**Character Analysis: Miho Nishizumi**

Miho's evolution is based around one simple question- she loves tankery, but how should she do it?

One nuance that the main series did not capture that was present in Little Army was the fact that Miho did enjoy tankery in the past, but not her family's style. She enjoyed simply getting in a tank with Hitomi, Chihiro and Emi, since it's something that she did with her friends, rather than for the sake of upholding her family's good name or fighting for their ideology. When Miho learns what Shiho expects of Nishizumi style tankers, she realizes that it is not a style she can follow, but with her sister and Emi's help, she realizes she does not have to, and seeks out her own way of tankery.

Naturally, it becomes harder to practice this at Black Forest, but it doesn't seem to have been an entirely bad experience. Miho had her sister there (the sisters' relationship could have been explored much more in the main series), as well as some friends, such as Koume. So once Miho saves the tank at the cost of winning the tournament, she still feels forced to transfer out because of the fallout, but does not do so without doubts or regrets.

Once at Oarai, after overcoming her reluctance to do tankery because of her friends, she finds people who are to some degree blank slates. They're inexperienced and open to suggestion, but they are unlikely to do things the Nishizumi way. They also do not expect to win, at least at first, leaving less pressure on Miho.

But while Miho is not as ruthlessly determined as the Nishizumis, she does still want to win for the sake of her friends and eventually, to save her school, for her own sake and that of her friends and comrades. Because of this, Miho has a great deal of empathy for desires that others might consider selfish, and hopes to win so that the individual members can achieve their goals.

The challenges to her school and her way of tankery continue in her final year of high school. She's determined to keep winning in order to prove that her victory was not a fluke, prove that her way of tankery can achieve long-term success, and ensure that her tankery team will be around for a long time. Each opponent she faces challenges her in its separate way, including the belief that Oarai can continue winning unopposed. Ultimately, she is defeated, but achieves a result that she can be proud of, and that she can leave Oarai without regrets.

But where will Miho go now? Her friends are going their separate ways. Any school that she goes into will likely be unfamiliar to her at first, and she will not have the same sort of pivotal role in shaping the team's development that she did at Oarai. With Miho considering her options, Maho hopes that Miho will join her at her university, and in her task of revitalizing the Nishizumi school.

Faced with her sister's offer, Miho is somewhat apprehensive, worrying that her experience at Black Forest will repeat itself, and she will remain under her mother's thumb until she falls from grace and leaves her school, her friends, her sister and tankery itself behind. But she believes things will be different this time ,and rather than going with the flow, she will help shape the future of her family's tankery school, just as she went from being influenced by others to asserting herself, and choosing her own identity, instead of those chosen for her.

The Necessary to Win trilogy is a story of Miho's evolution as a tanker. Said evolution is by no means over, but in the period of time discussed in the story and the flashbacks, she's rejected her family's style, formulated her own way of tankery, and had that way of tankery challenged. She's emerged with greater skill, determination and confidence, and is thus prepared to face what comes her way in the future.


	41. Thinking About Tomorrow

**Chapter 32: Thinking About Tomorrow  
**

Miho met with the Student Council in their office shortly after the end of the tournament. Although her family was on her mind, she also had to deal with matters relating to the team in the aftermath of their defeat, and in the months leading up to her graduation.

"So what did you want to talk with me about, President?" Miho said, adopting a more formal and businesslike tone than she used on Shizuru and the others outside the office.

"We have some good news," Shizuru said. "Our defeat was what might be considered the best possible result. We proved to potential benefactors that we could do well with the tanks that we had, but could use more tanks to fight on even footing with other schools."

"We're in talks with potential sponsors who could potentially provide us a tank," Ayano said. "It wouldn't be for free, and the help wouldn't arrive this year, but it would be significantly cheaper than what we would pay for it otherwise."

Miho nodded, pleased.

"That sounds promising," Miho said. "Please keep me informed about this process."

"If nothing else, we take losing a lot more gracefully than say, Black Forest does," Shiina said.

"So you heard the news," Miho said, "about what happened with their coach."

The student council members nodded.

"Since getting started in tankery, we have been getting into the habit of keeping up with what's going on with our competition," Shizuru said. "Doing so can help us learn about what to expect from our opponents when we face them in battle. And, as I learned over the past year, there's a certain value in watching those you disagree with, even if you will never emulate them."

Miho nodded. Her time at Black Forest had its ups and downs, and she knew she was better off at Oarai, but her time at Black Forest was a large influence on her, just like being born into the Nishizumi family was. She had many new friends at Oarai, but she was still interested in how those who were left behind were faring.

* * *

_The day after the tournament_

Takako entered the office of the headmistress of Black Forest, Fujisaki Natsuki, who had been hired the year after Miho had left. While roughly a decade Takako's senior, the new headmistress was quite young compared to her predecessor. In spite of that, however, she was also well-accomplished and had a good deal of administrative experience.

When Takako had first met Natsuki, Takako had been impressed by her new superior's qualifications and professionalism. Natsuki even reminded Takako of Shiho in some regards, as she was a tall woman with long, dark hair who wore a dark pantsuit that was similar to the one Shiho wore, albeit with a bright red necktie- Black Forest essentially required its higher ranking faculty, both females and males, to wear ties to work.

But Natsuki, in spite of stressing the importance for Black Forest to remain successful and competitive as an academic institution, also believed change was important, and there were multiple ways to accomplish it. As such, Takako wondered what place, if any, she and the Nishizumi school would have in Black Forest under the school's new management.

"Thank you for coming, Coach Kubo," Natsuki said, before motioning for Takako to have a seat. "I called you here to discuss a few recurring issues in your time as Black Forest's coach."

"Is it about... the rumors?" Takako said.

"Not entirely," Natsuki said. "We obviously take them with a grain of salt, but when so many people are talking about it for so long, then perhaps that, in and of itself, is a troubling sign. More recently, though, there are those who have come forward, and while most have done so anonymously, there are others with signed statements. Please take a moment to look them over."

Natsuki slid a small stack of papers across the desk, and Takako read them, recognizing the names of some of the students she had disciplined, and remembering some of the incidents involved. She also remembered why she had disciplined them and what she had hoped to accomplish, but it seemed as though Natsuki was more interested in the facts than in Takako's reasons or justifications.

"So, Coach Kubo," Natsuki said. "Are these reports truthful?"

"Yes, ma'am," Takako said without hesitation. "I disciplined them as I believed necessary, for the sake of correcting their actions and making them better tankers and more useful to the team as a whole."

Natsuki sighed. By all accounts, Takako seemed to take little pleasure in disciplining students, but she was largely unrepentant, so the meeting would be difficult.

"I appreciate your willingness to be forthcoming on this matter," Natsuki said, "but this leads to my second point. There is also the matter of the Nishizumi ideology. It has always had its fair share of critics, but it also has a record of success... until recently."

Takako took a deep breath to compose herself. Most other people saying that would have elicited an angry response from her, but she realized that she could not afford to show rudeness to her superior. She was clearly in trouble, but it was possible that she would avoid the worst of it if she presented her case effectively and tactfully.

"With due respect, headmistress, I do not practice it entirely as Instructor Nishizumi envisions it," Takako said. "To me, I see it as an ideal promoting excellence among students, and choose to implement my own interpretation, for the sake of the students."

"Perhaps," Natsuki said. "But you do follow the spirit of it, do you not?"

"Yes, ma'am," Takako said, knowing it was the only answer she could honestly give.

"The Nishizumis believe that the results matter most of all," the headmistress said, "not quite 'the ends justify the means' but fairly close. But if I may ask, why do we, as a school, seek to win?"

Takako paused. Clearly, Natsuki wanted her to answer truthfully, but some answers would be acceptable, while others would not. Takako then considered her response and chose her words carefully, hoping to appeal to Natsuki's values, rather than recite those of the Nishizumi school.

"It's for the sake of our school," Takako said. "By winning,we uphold our good name, keep tankery as a point of pride for us, and prove to the nation and the world that we are a good school, and second to none in tankery."

Natsuki hesitantly nodded, and waited a moment for Takako to continue. When Takako did not speak, Natsuki broke the silence.

"Those are valid reasons, Coach Kubo," Natsuki said. "But are they the _only_ ones?"

Takako paused, slightly taken off guard. Some of her students would have been surprised to see such a display from her, at least until they realized that Takako was now dealing with someone who outranked her, and the conversation had taken an unpleasant turn. Takako had assumed that the coach saw the team's success as most important, but if this was not necessarily the case, then she was at a loss for how to deal with her.

"They're the ones that are most important, ma'am," Takako said. "By associating with a successful team, students will learn a great deal and have an avenue to future success in tankery and life in general. The Nishizumi school inspired me to reach for those heights, and with my interpretation of its style, I intend to do the same for my students... with any means necessary."

Natsuki sighed. Any hope she had of persuading Takako, or of Takako understanding what Natsuki hoped she would had now faded.

"I had hoped you wouldn't say that," Natsuki said. "It is true that the team is our school's pride, but it is not solely about how many championships we win, or how many of our alumni become professional tankers or coaches. It's about providing a team our students can enjoy being part of, in which they can learn and grow as tankers and people. My point is essentially that I am no longer certain the Nishizumi doctrine, with its ruthless competitiveness and exacting standards, is conducive to that end."

"With due respect, headmistress," Takako said, "the Nishizumis believe that great effort in tankery translates to success in other endeavors. Perhaps you may not have taken part in tankery, but you should know what our tankers have gone on to do after graduating."

Natsuki shook her head.

"As an alumna, I know that the tankery team has changed little since my time at the school," Natsuki said. "And while it is possible that the unfortunate incident at the finals two years ago and Oarai's sudden rise to prominence were factors against us, the school has not adequately changed with the times. It's time for a changing of the guard, and to take Black Forest into the future."

"What are you saying, headmistress?" Takako said, almost unwilling to believe what she was hearing.

"In other words, Coach Kubo, we have no further need of your services," the headmistress said. "Your employment will terminate at the end of the academic year, and we will soon begin the search process for your replacement."

Takako was speechless for a moment. Not only would she soon lose her job, but Black Forest was starting to turn its back on the Nishizumi style. She soon realized there was only one way to process this. Nishizumi disciples were expected to never lose, fail to accomplish their missions, or disappoint their superiors or those who were counting on them, but once they did, they were expected to take responsibility and accept the consequences gracefully.

"Yes, ma'am," Takako said.

"That will be all for today," Natsuki said. "Keep me apprised on your efforts, and we will discuss your exit over the next few weeks. You are dismissed."

Takako stood up, bowed deeply to the headmistress and left.

* * *

Takako, returning to her apartment on the Black Forest school ship, placed a call to Ami.

"Hi, Takako," Ami said. "How are you doing today?"

"Hi, Ami," Takako said with a soft sigh. "I met with the headmistress today, and was dismissed from my position as Black Forest's coach, effective the end of the school year."

Takako, hearing what she just said, was amazed at how much she had internalized the formal language of the workplace when talking about her job.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Takako," Ami said. "I honestly wouldn't have fired you over something like this, even if I were in the position of Black Forest's headmistress."

"I think they're growing tired of the Nishizumi style," Takako said "They're looking elsewhere, for a solution that will help them as a school, for things that matter more than winning."

"That's unfortunate," Ami said. "Ever since I've graduated high school and entered the JGSDF, I've taught many students, from cadets to civilians, often in ways very different from how I was taught. In the process, I've learned the limitations of the Nishizumi style in teaching and tankery, but still believe that without my time at the Nishizumi school, I would never have become the person I am today."

"I could say the same," Takako said. "But the issue's out of our hands now. Perhaps someday a new champion of the Nishizumi style will arise, restoring our good name like you restored Black Forest's winning streak twelve years ago."

"Perhaps," Ami said. "It may well be a very different Nishizumi style from the one we knew."

Takako nodded.

"That may not be a bad thing," Takako said. "Even though my employment with Black Forest has ended, I still hope for my students' success, and that of my replacement. I suppose the time has come to part ways with Black Forest once again."

"You could say that," Ami said. "Wherever you end up, Takako, I wish you the best of luck."

"Thanks, Ami," Takako said, before saying goodbye to her.

Takako looked around her apartment, knowing that she would soon have to leave the ship behind once more. In her more optimistic moments, she thought of the change as a chance to start over, to rethink her way of tankery and teaching and begin anew elsewhere. Just as Black Forest was looking in a new direction, so, too, would she, and a part of her eagerly looked forward to the process of discovering what she could do.

* * *

_A few days after the end of the tournament_

"Miho?" Shizuru said as Miho was lost in thought.

"Sorry, Shizuru-san," Miho said. "I was just thinking for a moment about Coach Kubo- or rather, the former coach."

"Ah yes, your former tankery coach," Shizuru said. "Do you think what happened to her was fair?"

Miho sighed and shrugged. She was tempted to ask "By whose standards?" but realized that the student council did not expect her to necessarily approach the issue from the headmistress' point of view.

"She was... quite harsh with us," Miho said, "particularly to those who were unable to meet her standards. But she believed in all of us, and respected those who persevered. Who could say what she might have accomplished had she been given another chance?"

"That's a good question, Miho," Ayano said. "Of course, she's beyond the point at which she can look at this as a trial run and see her mistakes as nothing more than learning experiences. If I recall correctly, she said as much in one interview she had a few years ago, so she can't complain when she's subject to it."

Miho sadly nodded.

"I suppose so," Miho said. "Still, I wish her the best, and have the same wish for my old school. Perhaps my time at Black Forest is in the past, but I will soon have to say the same about Oarai."

The others silently concurred before changing the subject. Their time at their school was running out, and they would have to spend what was left of it preparing for what came next, and ensuring that those who stayed behind would be able to assume the positions they vacated, and perform well in their stead. In those regards, they had something in common with Takako, and so they strove to carry out their responsibilities to the very end.

* * *

In Miho's classroom, her fellow club heads were hard at work preparing for the next year, including recruiting new members to replace those who would be graduating at the end of the year.

"Hi, Mutsuki," Noriko said after class one day. "I'm looking for some people to the volleyball team, now that we've gotten going again. Do you know anyone?"

"What a coincidence, Noriko," Mutsuki said with a smile. "I waws also hoping to recruit some new members to the recently reformed mahjong club."

"Yeah, congratulations," Noriko said.

"Thank you, Noriko; I'd like to congratulate you as well," Mutsuki said, causing Noriko to smile appreciatively. "Of course, neither of us, nor Tsuchiya-san, will be around to see it.

"Well, I think of it somewhat differently," Noriko said. "We didn't succeed in re-establishing our clubs, but in restoring their status as clubs. The people were there all along and helped us reach our goal."

"Indeed," Tsuchiya said, walking over. "That's why I feel confident in leaving the auto club in the hands of my juniors. I may not have a choice in the matter any more than the two of you do, but it's a choice I'd gladly make."

The three girls knew that the same would soon apply to the tankery team, as the largest group of the first-generation tankers graduated, moving on to university and other pursuits. As much as they regretted parting from their friends, they were each moving on to the next phase of their lives, and they hoped that one day, those still at Oarai would take that next step as well.

* * *

Later in the year, Shiina and Natsumi had an interview at a college to which they both applied. They spent weeks preparing, and the entire process, including the tour and entrance interview, took several hours.

Not too long ago, both of them would have found it to be qute stressful. They had to look professional and be on their best behavior. They had to exude an aura of affability and confidence, while giving the "right" answers to the questions. Any misstep could potentially be their undoing, without them even realizing it.

But they had experience doing that from their time in the student council. And from their experience with Ayano, they realized that many of those whose job it was to make difficult decisions did so to the best of their ability.

As the two girls, the receptionist called out "Have a nice day!" Almost on reflex, the two girls said, "You too, ma'am."

Shiina and Natsumi walked out of the office, got into the elevator, and took it down to the ground floor. After the doors shut, they decided to discuss the interview.

"How do you think it went, Natsumi?" Shiina said.

"Quite well," Natsumi said pleasantly. "I'm certainly hoping I get in, since this looks like a promising place."

"So am I," Shiina said. "But I have to say, that's not at all like your reaction three years ago."

"You mean, apart from me being on my best behavior?" Natsumi said.

Shiina nodded.

"You've changed, Natsumi," Shiina said. "You're no longer the same person you were when we first met, but you're not the person you pretend to be, either."

"Is this a bad thing?" Natsumi said, briefly taken off guard. From time to time, there were situations in which Natsumi was no longer sure how to react, such as when she was unsure of how best to appeal to them. In such situations, she could only do what came to mind.

"No, I like it," Natsumi said with a smile. "You feel more comfortable and open with being yourself, and when you conform to others' expectations, it feels more natural."

"I'm not the only one, Shiina," Natsumi said. "Didn't you come up with the idea to apply here on your own?"

"Well, I did hear about it from Ayano," Shiina said. "She's very practical and analytical, and you can talk with her about almost anything."

Natsumi nodded approvingly. Some would imagine it to be a surprise that the more idealistic Shiina and the pragmatic Ayano would get along well, but Ayano said that she was friends with Shizuru, who was in many ways an idealist, in spite of their disagreements, so it seemed natural that she would also befriend Shiina.

"Speaking of things you don't talk about with others much," Natsumi said, "I've been playing Ancient Legacy Online, and I'd like to know any strategies about playing rogues."

"I didn't play one, but Shizuru does, and she says they do a lot of DPS at higher gear levels," Shiina said, growing somewhat excited. "To begin with, you'll need a lot of Critical Hit for the Serpent's Fangs passive ability, so you can poison the target while backstabbing if you get a crit. Be sure to choose Enfeebling Venom talent when you hit Level 30, so you can get 5% extra damage on poisoned targets..."

Anyone who caught a glimpse of those two girls would have remarked at how well they were dressed. But anyone who heard them would have found them to be two ordinary teenagers, talking with each other about their interests. Both Shiina and Natsumi had to go along with the expectations of others in their own ways and for their own reasons, but that did not stop them from being true to themselves.

* * *

At BC Freedom, Kei prepared to graduate, and thought about the future as she tried on the cap and gown, which she wore over her school uniform. In spite of BC Freedom's limited success in the tournament, she was well liked by those on both the BC and Freedom sides, remnants of two separate schools that shared the same ship but had never fully united, and would be missed.

Much like the other recent graduates, Kei had been faced with the task of choosing a successor, and had chosen Hatsuse, in hopes of finding a competent commander who would be able to lead both halves of the school well. Kei had known Hatsuse well all throughout her time in high school, and felt confident in her choice, just as Miho and Kinue felt confident in choosing Nodoka and Anastasia, respectively.

But while it was tempting to choose a commander that was familiar and similar to the outgoing commander, it was not always possible. At Black Forest, Erika's replacement was a girl who had a promising start in Maho's final year as commander, but no connection to the Nishizumi school. Rinkai passed over Nelly and Myeonghwa as commander in favor of a Japanese commander neither knew well, and Nelly was chosen as vice captain. St. Gloriana chose Lei Cha, who was, by all accounts, stern and something of a disciplinarian, but willing to give second chances, such as when her gunner failed a crucial shot to protect their flag tank against Koala Forest.

Many new commanders were rising, while some, such as Arata, Touka and Kazue, would once again be assuming their positions. Kei regretted not being able to participate any longer, but hoped to watch as she competed against the others on the university level.

* * *

At Koala Forest, Touka's crew did not do much for the graduation of a significant portion of the team, with Touka giving a short speech at the end of the final tankery practice of the year congratulating the graduates and wishing them luck in the future. The same went for Kazue at Joghurt and Arata at Saunders, even though they were aware they would soon have to say goodbye to some of their senpais.

The three commanders, who would return to their posts the following year, decided to hold a Skype conference to discuss the future, particularly the various new arrivals and the greater promise of victory now that, for the last four years, the same school did not win twice in a row.

"If any of us wins the tournament, it'll be the first and only time in our high school careers," Arata said, "as well as the only time, at least in recent memory, that any of our schools managed to win."

"That's to be expected," Kazue said. "The Nishizumi sisters won a single tournament victory each while in high school, far more than most people can hope for."

"And yet, I will not be able to face and overcome either one next year?" Touka said. "That is most unfortunate! I had hoped to prove my mettle against adversaries of their caliber, and Koromo enjoys fighting challenging battles, as well."

"There are a lot of strong up and coming students, Ryuumonbuchi-san," Arata said. "Someone will undoubtedly be willing to make a name for herself by taking any of us down, the same way you did by defeating St. Gloriana this year."

"Not all of them will succeed, mind you," Kazue said. While encouraged by Oarai's victory as an underdog last year, she was still realistic about her chances, especially in light of Oarai's defeat against Pravda by virtue of being outnumbered and outgunned. "But still, it is a nice thing to aim for, and I certainly will do my best toward that end."

Arata looked at her computer's time display on her desktop, and realized that another appointment she had was drawing close.

"Wow, look at the time," she said to herself with her mic off, before starting up her mic again. "I must be wrapping things up," she said. "I'm planning on meeting with some friends on Skype a little after this."

"We are amenable to that," Touka said. "In fact, I was intending to retire for the evening, having exhausted the topics I wished to discuss."

"We do have an entire year ahead of us," Kazue said, "so I wish both of you the best of luck in making the most of it."

"I should be the one saying this, Nanpo Kazue, Sagimori Arata," Touka said with a confident grin."For you will be in need of luck should you face me on the battlefield!"

"Thank you both," Arata said. "I'll talk with you later, Nanpo-san, Ryuumonbuchi-san."

Arata then signed out of the conversation, ready to resume the effort of bettering herself and her team with what she had learned. In spite of her failure, and the fact that the next year would be her last chance to win the tournament, she felt closer to achieving her goal than ever before. Perhaps her opponents also felt that way, but that would likely make for a fun tournament.

* * *

Nodoka spoke with her friends on Skype. While most of them, like her, were returning for the next year, Kirame was graduating.

"Congratulations on graduating, Hanada-senpai," Nodoka said. "Although I'm sorry your school didn't do better."

"It's alright," Kirame said. "I'm the sort who's glad to just be able to do tankery, rather than expecting to become commander or some such. The last three years were an interesting time, and it was wonderful to be able to do tankery in them."

"That seems very much like you," Nodoka said. "You were certainly grateful for the small things, enjoyng doing tankery at all, even if it was at a small school."

"What about you, Nodoka?" Kirame said. "Surely you didn't predict that Oarai would get this far?"

"No, I don't believe I did," Nodoka said. "But I do believe in taking things seriously, and giving my all to whatever pursuit I have."

"That's one thing we have in common," Arata said, "and I believe the same goes for Ryuumonbuchi-san and Nanpo-san, your former opponents. They said as much when I talked to them recently, and the three of us are looking forward to trying again."

"As am I, Arata," Nodoka said with a smile. "I hope we can face each other again one day, just like Miho-senpai and her old friend Nakasuga-san did."

* * *

At Continuance, Hitomi and Chihiro prepared for graduation. Their school greatly valued friendships, and some of their newer friends were pleased that they, friends even before they had met Miho and Emi, had remained close all those years, even after going their separate ways for middle school.

"Our time here's almost done, Chii-chan," Hitomi said. "Once more, we'll be going to separate universities."

"We can still keep in touch, Hii-chan," Chihiro said, "with each other, Miho-chan and Emi-chan."

"I know," Hitomi said. "It's too bad we won't be able to see either of their graduation ceremonies."

"Miho-chan and Emi-chan have friends at their respective schools, as do we," Chihiro said. "They'll want to share the celebration with those who are also graduating... and also say goodbye to them."

"I guess," Hitomi said. "But if all of us made friends at our new schools, doesn't that mean it will continue on at our next stage of our lives? And won't we have all sorts of other beneficial experiences?"

"I think so, too, Hii-chan," Chihiro said.

Hitomi and Chihiro's conversation stopped there, as one of their friends, whom they'd known since their first year, called out to them, hoping to say goodbye. For years, they had walked paths separate from each other, making different friends, learning different lessons. Their paths were still separate from each other, but they were once again in touch, and could share what they had experienced, what they learned and what the future held in store for them.

* * *

Rinkai held its graduation, which meant that Satoha, Megan, Aislinn and Emi, among others, would be leaving the school, the same year they had arrived.

Emi had heard about how Miho had said the previous year that even if she was forced to leave Oarai, she would consider that school her alma mater, above Black Forest and whatever school she might have attended in her third year, had things gone differently. Emi, while touched, said she did not share this sentiment; she could unreservedly say that she liked her German school about as much as Rinkai. She hoped that her schoolmates could have followed her to her new school, but also that she could have spent longer at her new school.

"It's a bit sudden, isn't it?" Emi said. "We only just arrived, and now we're going our separate ways again."

"It was a good year," Satoha said. "The two of us won the championship back home, and we took part in helping this school establish the tankery team. You really can't ask for much more than that as far as tankery goes."

"I agree," Myeonghwa said. "That said, I, along with many of the others who are your underclassmen, wish we could see you around here again next year."

Satoha nodded. She had not thought of herself as a senpai to many of her juniors, especially not when the second-years had been there for longer than she had, but she, too, had to face the reality that she would be parting from them at the end of the year.

"Saying goodbye doesn't always have to be a sad occasion," Megan said. "I'm glad to be parting with all of you on good terms, and hope to keep in touch with you all."

For a long time, Megan had regretted how she had parted with her old school. She had said goodbye to a few of her closer friends- the ones with whom she was still on speaking terms- but it was somewhat awkward, and a part of Megan found it difficult to accept that this was the way her time at her old school was ending. But now, knowing that she would be graduating, she realized that there was no school she would rather be graduating from, and no group of friends she would rather have at her side.

"Yes," Aislinn said, causing everyone to turn to her. "We're all moving onward and upward, toward the next stage of our lives."

Everyone turned to look in surprise at what Aislinn had said. The words that she needed to express herself had come naturally to her, flowing in largely clear, if slightly accented, Japanese. Aislinn was speaking from her heart, and thus everything came naturally to her.

"Yeah, good point, Aislinn," Emi said. "When I last saw Miho before leaving Japan, she'd come to a decision about tankery, and in the years since, all of my friends started on their respective paths. Now that I'm leaving again, I'll keep in touch with everyone else and cheer them on, come what may."

* * *

As the final preparations were made for Pravda's graduation ceremony, the students who were preparing to attend milled around the school, getting final looks at the place where they had spent three years.

Kinue met her mother outside the school about an hour before the start of the event. Masae was expected to show up early to prepare, but chose to arrive even earlier than that to see her daughter prior to the ceremony.

"Hi, Mom," Kinue said.

"Hello, Kinue," Masae said. "Did you hear from your sister or Hiroko?"

"I got a call from my sister a few minutes ago, saying that she and Hiroko had just gotten onto the ship," Kinue said. "What about Dad, Aunt Masaki, Uncle Masaya and Grandma?"

"They've already arrived, and are headed to the area with the other parents," Masae said.

"That's good," Kinue said. "In any case, I'm glad you could make it, Mom."

"I wouldn't miss either of my daughters' graduations," Masae said. "Especially not this time, when I was invited to serve as graduation speaker."

Kinue nodded.

"Are you going to mention... us at all, Mom?" Kinue said.

"Only in passing," Masae said. "Perhaps you exemplify persisting and learning from your mistakes, but you're just one example of it. Those may be ideas that I teach at my school, but I teach them because they're right, rather than for the sake of promoting my ideals. Perhaps the students, in understanding some of the reasons why Pravda won this year, can learn lessons that will be useful in achieving their next victory."

Kinue nodded in agreement, and the conversation stopped short as Hiroe and Hiroko, wearing suits, walked over to greet them. Much like Oarai, Pravda would not merely be content with its victory, but would continue to improve itself, reach for greater heights and do its best in the tournament. Hiroe had once remarked that it was fully possible to do your best without going to "Nishizumi-like levels of obsession," and Kinue agreed, hoping for a team that was dedicated but not perfectionist, and had high standards without being overbearing. That was her goal at Pravda, and would be her goal at Romanov, along with her sister and many of the others she admired.

Kinue hoped that Oarai, her greatest rival in the tournament, and the school whose team one of her close friends had commanded, could say the same.

* * *

Oarai's last practice session of the year ended early, with one last match for the graduating members. The match, held between Miho and Nodoka's halves of th team, ended in Nodoka's victory, much to Miho's pleasure.

Miho had already prepared for this in many ways. She had started to train those who had joined midway through, who had been joined by several others, and had replaced most of the people who were graduating. While Nodoka had been her top pick for her successor as commander for a while, she needed a new vice captain to replace her, and so chose Azusa from Rabbit Team, who had long been a promising candidate for the position.

Still, as she took the Panzer IV out for one last practice session, as part of an exercise to lead some of the newcomers, Miho had a hard time believing that the day had come.

As practice ended, Miho gathered everyone together in front of the tankery garage to make her announcement.

"Before you go, I have some announcements to make," Miho said. "Today was my last day as Oarai's commander. Next year, as I have said earlier, you will have Haramura Nodoka-san as your commander, and Sawa Azusa-san as your vice-captain."

The others gave a round of applause, until Miho motioned for silence.

"To be honest, I had not originally envisioned myself coming to Oarai, or commanding for all of you," Miho said. "But I came to love this school, and in its team, I remembered my love for tankery. When I heard that this school would be closed if we did not win last year, my greatest desire was to stay with all of you. It was because of some of my closest friends that I chose to do tankery again. It was thanks to all your efforts, and those of our teammates who graduated last year, that we succeeded. Thank you, everyone."

Miho bowed in gratitude, while the crowd erupted in shouts of "Thank you!" Having said everything she wished to, Miho slipped away.

* * *

On her way out, Miho encountered the rest of her crew waiting for her on a street corner near the school.

"That was a wonderful speech, Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari said.

"I'm glad you liked it, Yukari-san," Miho said. "My sister did a longer speech when she was finished leading our middle school team. She also had more of a celebration, but I wanted to leave more quietly."

"Good thinking," Mako said. "A lot of pomp and circumstance does seem quite tiring, after all."

"Still, I think we should do something to celebrate Miporin's retirement as commander," Saori said.

"Having dinner at my apartment sounds good," Miho said. "I bought everything we need for it."

"Then that will be how we celebrate," Hana said. "I'm looking forward to eating Saori-san's cooking once again."

Miho nodded in agreement. Her and her friends' time at Oarai would soon end, but she hoped to enjoy their company while she could, while continuing to stay in touch with them into the future. Having reconnected with her friends from elementary school, she no longer believed in ends so much as new beginnings.

* * *

The auto club finished up their last repairs on the tanks, before closing up shop and leaving for the day.

"It's hard to believe it's over..." Tsuchiya said as she locked the garage, and prepared to turn in the key for safekeeping. "I'm going to miss this."

"So will we when the time comes in two years, senpai," Nanami said.

"Yeah," Gotou said. "There was a time when we couldn't wait to be done with helping the tankery team out, and now, we want to enjoy it as long as we can."

"Well, it's good that we realized this when we did," Rokubungi said. "There are some people out there who don't fully understand the value of something until after they lose it.

Tsuchiya smiled. The girls, the first generation of students to arrive in Oarai's first lease on life, had not been around for when Oarai was in peril, but she felt as though they understood what they needed to learn from that, as well as everything they needed to learn for helping the tankery team.

* * *

On her way out, after saying goodbye to her clubmates, Tsuchiya encountered Someya Mako, who had been her classmate in all three years of high school. While the two had little in common apart from that until they joined the tankery team, they had begun talking more in the past few weeks.

"It's been a while, Someya-san," Tsuchiya said to Mako,

"It certainly has, Tsuchiya-san," Mako said. "I was hoping to see you one last time before we graduated and chat since we have something in common."

"We're both leaving our respective clubs behind in the hands of relative newcomers?" Tsuchiya said. "In your case, your crew has some holdovers from the previous year."

"Yeah, but Nodoka's new at commanding us, albeit with some experience," Mako said. "This year, she did a good job as vice-captain, good enough that she'll command us next year, with Sawa-san underneath her. All the first-years really have come a long way."

"I know," Tsuchiya said. There was nothing in Mako's point that she felt like disputing, so she hoped to hear the final part.

"So trust those who will come after us," Mako said. "Let them lead the school to victory next year."

Tsuchiya nodded. Most organizations took a long time and a lot of work to become successful, and she was glad that her club mates had become people suited to the long and difficult task. Many others would takes up that task over the years, but this was a promising start for the Oarai tankery team's future.

* * *

On the night before graduation, Miho finished packing her goods away in preparation for moving out of her apartment. Only the bare essentials- her bedding, enough food for the next day, and a few other things that she needed- were still out, and even they would be packed away easily, leaving the apartment almost bare.

As she finished, she felt something quite similar to what she had felt when she left Black Forest- a sense of regret in leaving her old school behind, but the knowledge that it was necessary, albeit with the necessitating factor being different. Her time at Oarai had come to an end, and she would now have to leave the school behind, and leave her responsibilities in the hands of Nodoka, and those who would come after her. With or without her, the school and its tankery team would go on.

But while Miho missed some of her friends from Black Forest, she was glad that she had come to Oarai, having found a place better suited to her, one in which she could develop her own style of tankery. Similarly, the next step in her life awaited her, and she once again was taking a large step- choosing to help her sister in hopes of turning the Nishizumi style into something that could rise to the challenges, and was not so ruthlessly devoted to victory.

Once again, Miho felt a sense of uncertainty, much like she had when she prepared to leave tankery behind. In spite of that, another part of her felt that while the challenges ahead would be great, she could meet them. She had the motivation and ability to meet those problems, and would not be facing them alone, but would have the help of her sister and some of her old friends.

* * *

After their last day in office, the outgoing Oarai student council met with their predecessors, who had come to see some of their old schoolmates graduate.

Throughout the meeting, both the Mikado and Kadotani administrations shared stories of their time on the student council, including the challenges they faced and the difficult decisions they had to make. The former had been at Oarai for most of the latter's tenure, while the latter still kept up on current events at their alma mater, so both knew about the other's decisions. In spite of that knowledge, learning how the other group had reached their decisions was an eye-opening experience.

"That really sounds quite like you, Mikado-chan," Anzu said.

"You could say that, Kadotani-senpai," Shizuru said. "But now, I think I have some idea of what you were up against."

"Some idea?" Momo said. "Is that all?"

"I mean exactly that, Kawashima-senpai," Shizuru said. "I have experienced running the school government, but the circumstances I experienced were not the same ones you experienced in your third year, nor were they even much like the ones in your first two."

"Well, in all fairness, Mikado-san, your task is probably more difficult in some ways," Hisa said. "Your goal was to keep the school going over the long term. You had to do your best, knowing that your decisions will have long-term consequences, but it won't end with you."

Shizuru nodded, agreeing with the sentiment, but only to a point.

"So did you, Takei-senpai," Shizuru said. "But how could you plan for the future when a misstep meant that it would be Oarai's final year?"

"What are you getting at, exactly?" Yuzu said.

"My point is that I still don't agree with many of your decisions, or your ways of running things," Shizuru said. "But in the end, you did your job, and gave Oarai a new lease on life, and I respect you for doing so. Perhaps it is easier to plan for the future when you have the luxury of thinking about tomorrow, and it is easier to make decisions when you know that if you're wrong, the school won't shut down."

"Fair enough," Anzu said. "But I will say this, Mikado-chan; we got some good successors, even if we do have our disagreements.."

Shizuru nodded in agreement.

"So do we," Ayano said. "You may have heard this, but the incoming student council is composed of a lot of people who didn't agree with Shizuru on many issues."

"What goes around, comes around, as they say," Shizuru said, turning to Shiina and winking slightly. "Still, I cannot fault those who will replace us, and believe that they seem like promising new arrivals."

As she parted with her predecessors and proceeded to her graduation ceremony, Shizuru's thoughts went back to one piece of advice her father had given her when she had first become student council president. He told her to think of herself as a temporary steward, like a runner of the Olympic torch, who would inherit her responsibility from her predecessors, carry out her duties, and pass it on to her successor. Doing them to the best of her ability was of the utmost importance, to honor the efforts of those who came before her and for the sake of those who would follow her, but she should never forget that she was one in a line of succession.

Oarai was still in existence, and still performing relatively well considering its circumstances. That was enough for Shizuru, and that idea gave her hope that her alma mater would continue long into the future.

* * *

Oarai's graduation ceremony was a simple fare. After speeches by the headmaster and Shizuru, the students, one by one, walking up to receive their diplomas, as their family, friends, and much of the rest of the school watched.

After the graduation ceremony concluded, Miho met up with her mother, father and sister. Her father was walking with a cane, having recovered enough to attend Miho's graduation, but not yet back to full capacity.

"Congratulations, Miho," Maho said.

Miho's parents smiled approvingly.

"The team that you founded seems to be in fairly good hands, Miho," Shiho said, "although only time will tell if Oarai's team endures and remains successful over the long term."

Miho nodded, having often thought about what her mother just said. Upon realizing that the same could be said of the Nishizumi school, Miho reached an epiphany and spoke.

"I think I've begun to understand what it means to create something successful," Miho said, "and to keep perpetuating that success across many years, even as the leadership changes. Having overseen Oarai's tankery program over the first two years of its return, and doing what I can to pass it along to future generations, I've learned why you try so hard to advance the interests of the Nishizumi school, Mother."

"My mother inherited this school from her mother," Shiho said. "To honor her efforts, and those of the people who helped make it into what it is today, I seek to ensure that her school remains respectable."

Miho paused to consider her answer.

"I believe that respecting those who came before you is important," Miho said. "But I also believe in keeping it around for those who will come after you. I'd like to see Oarai remain a good school into the future, that its graduates can send their daughters there and know that they will get a good education, even as it changes with the times and meets every challenge that comes its way. And I feel the same way about the Nishizumi school, which is why I hope to help my sister."

Shiho nodded. She saw what Miho said as a promise, and knew that words meant little compared to actions. But the fact that Miho had said this showed that she had grown, even if she had not grown in the way Shiho had originally envisioned. And yet, perhaps that was not a bad thing, and possibly, the Nishizumi school's evolution in the future would not be, either.

* * *

As Miho stood on board the boat that would take her away from Oarai for what would likely be the last time, she glanced back at the Oarai school ship. When she first looked at it, it had initially seemed so small in comparison to Black Forest's ship, but over time, looking at it evoked feelings of familiarity, as though she was coming home. She had become familiar with almost every part of it, living in an apartment, going to school on it, shopping, hanging out with her friends, practicing tankery on its grounds, searching for tanks and even once doing a tour of the entire ship. Now, the time had come to say goodbye to that home, but Miho left bearing cherished memories and valuable lessons in life and in tankery. She hoped to see her friends again and hear more about her alma mater in the future.

Oarai's efforts at winning the tournament the past year had ended in failure, but for better or worse, the struggle was still ongoing. The tankery team would have to remain in operation and true to itself in the years to come, the effort carried on by Nodoka, her successors, and many others that Miho would likely never meet. They would once again face the opponents they had defeated, those who had defeated them,those they had never faced, and new challengers.

The future was uncertain, but within that uncertainty lay hope. Miho had faith in her comrades and school, and believed that Oarai Academy had what was necessary to win and overcome whatever the future had in store for them.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

So ends Miho's time at Oarai, along with that of many of her friends, but the story isn't quite over yet.

The denouement chapter seemed to be significantly shorter than its equivalent in the original, possibly because there's fewer revelations this time.

One final chapter will follow, showing some of the cast in the future and concluding the series.

Edited to fix a few typos and expand on some of the scenes


	42. Necessary To Win

**Last Chapter: Necessary To Win  
**

_Several months after Miho's graduation_

The Nishizumi sisters once again stood before the Atago sisters at the conclusion of the tournament, the first time in three years that Miho and Maho had fought side by side. This time, they had triumphed together, in the name of their own style.

"It's just like four years ago," Hiroe said. "Congratulations, you two; you really do work best on the same side."

"Thank you, Hiroe," Maho said, shaking hands with her. "Your school also did quite well, so I could say the same about you and Kinue."

"I agree completely, Hiroe-san," Miho said. "In the end, what I'd wanted most all these years was to do tankery with my sister, my own way. This is really the best of both worlds, so to speak."

"I had analyzed your matches this year, and considered the possibility that you'd change tactics," Hiroko said, "but I honestly wasn't prepared for this." She turned back to the others. "Everyone, I'm sorry."

Hiroe chuckled and shook her head, while Kinue smiled. Even if the two sisters could find any cause to blame Hiroko, they were in too good of a mood to hold the outcome against their cousin.

"That's not a problem, Hiroko," Hiroe said. "Perhaps the only real solution we have for next time is to do things better- and differently. It's quite fun being kept on our toes."

Kinue nodded in agreement. She had hoped to win together Hiroe and Hiroko, but was glad to fight alongside her sister as an equal, just like Miho had done this year. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Erika and Teru at a distance, seemingly much happier than the last time she had seen either of them.

"Oh, and..." Hiroe said, "Did you catch the match between Saunders and Black Forest?"

"I did," Miho said. "It was quite entertaining, and was surprised to see Saunders win. Oarai will have a difficult battle in the finals, perhaps even more so than the semifinals two years ago."

"Or even the semifinals last year," Hiroko said. "Saunders also beat Rinkai this year, you know."

Miho nodded. From what she had heard, Rinkai had a mediocre commander in place as a result of the requirement for a Japanese commander. The school was moving to repeal that rule, which would likely result in Nelly becoming the first non-Japanese commander for the school.

"You might think this sounds like sour grapes because Oarai took down Pravda this year," Hiroe said, "but the fact is that we don't have a dog in the ring, and are simply looking forward to an interesting finals, much like the one we just competed in."

"So are we," Miho said. "I hope we can do this again next year."

The two sides bid each other goodbye. Victory was their goal, not their obsession, so they enjoyed the match, regardless of the outcome, and hoped to face each other again some day.

* * *

In the stands, Shiho watched the end of the match; at the moment, the only thing she was certain of was that she was glad her daughters had won. She wondered if she could truly call it a victory for her or her school, but she enjoyed it all the same. It was not won in the same style she and her predecessors had practiced, but it was a victory all the same, meeting the Nishizumi school's supreme standard for success.

Perhaps the Nishizumi school that her granddaughter ran would be very different from the one that her grandmother founded. But it would still be her family's school, a legacy to pass down to her children, and a way of educating the tankers of the future. If things continued as they were, perhaps she could not complain about it. And if her granddaughter inherited a school that was still highly respectable, then perhaps she had done her duty as a Nishizumi.

_"Rest well, Mother, Grandmother," _Shiho thought. _"Your school is in good hands."_

* * *

_Several months after Miho's graduation_

The battle between Saunders and Oarai was indeed fierce, raging throughout the site where the semifinals had been held the previous years. The two sides were intimately familiar with the urban combat area, and the battle involved many ambushes, chases through the streets and fierce shootouts that resulted in heavy casualties on both sides, and a few instances in which each team's flag tank was nearly taken out.

In the end, Saunders prevailed with a well aimed shot against Oarai's flag tank, taking out the Tas and winning the match.

"Saunders wins the tournament!" the announcer said.

Oarai and Saunders came together after the match, exchanging bows and a handshake. The two schools, in particular, their commanders, had rooted for the other throughout the entire tournament- as Saunders succeeded where it had failed against Rinkai, Oarai did the same against Pravda, and Saunders became the latest school to best Black Forest- so there was no shame in this outcome.

Harue, along with some of the others who knew the participants, walked over. Harue wore a charcoal gray suit with a red necktie, having dressed up in anticipation of the possibility of being interviewed in the aftermath of the game, and was glad that she had chosen to look her best for television.

"Wonderful job, both of you," Harue said to Nodoka and Arata. She wore a suit to the event, anticipating the possibility of having to be interviewed.

"Yeah, you took the words out of my mouth, Akado-sensei," Kirame said. "I honestly wasn't sure who to root for."

"Neither was I, Kirame-chan," Yuu said. "Well done, Arata-chan, Nodoka-chan."

Both commanders nodded gratefully. For the second time, Oarai had lost in the finals of the tournament, but once again, it had put up a worthy fight and shown those watching what it was capable of. Once again, they could be happy for their opponent for the moment, while preparing to improve upon their performance and seize the championship in the next tournament, much like Saunders had after its defeat at Rinkai's hands the previous year.

* * *

After the post-game exchange between the teams ended, Arata headed into the changing room, and took out the red necktie, which she had taken with her to the match, as she changed back into her school uniform for the ceremony, during which she would accept the championship flag on behalf of her school. Some, such as Shizuno, found having to change into their uniforms tedious, but Arata personally welcomed it as an opportunity.

"Want a little help with that, Arata?" Harue said, announcing her presence to Arata, when Arata finished buttoning up her shirt and stepped in front of a mirror to tie her necktie.

"Well, I do know how to tie a knot at this point, Haru-chan," Arata said. "I'm not the little kid I was before." But Arata soon realized what Harue was getting at, and she nodded. "Oh. Yes, please."

Harue stepped in front of Arata, and began to tie the knot.

"I am a bit surprised you took it all the way to the finals," Harue said.

"I promised that I would," Arata said, adjusting the knot. "I wanted to prove that the gift I received from you didn't bring bad luck, but would bring me to victory."

Harue teared up slightly at the thought of her students succeeding where she had failed, inspired by how far she had gotten rather than discouraged by her failure, but quickly wiped it away and smiled.

"I know," Harue said. "You, Nodoka, Shizuno, Ako, Kuro and the others I taught have all come a long way since I first met you as young children. I'm so proud of all of you."

Arata smiled.

"If we came that way, it's because you got us started, Haru-chan," Arata said. "Now let's go; you deserve to stand with us as the champions as much as the students who competed in the finals."

While Black Forest would regain the title two years after Saunders' victory, and one year after Rinkai's first tournament victory, it would never again become the same dominant champion it once was, even as it proceeded to win most often. Times were changing, and while Black Forest's newer tankers often thought about the school's glory days, they nevertheless tried their best while not holding themselves to the same standards of the past.

* * *

_One year after Miho's graduation_

Hiroe and Kinue, at the Atago school, prepared for Kinue's first class in the Refresher Course, which she would be teaching under her sister's supervision. Kinue had gotten used to dressing up, as she did in the same gray pantsuit she wore to the previous convention, along with her "lucky" blue necktie, which she had worn to her interview for Romanov.

"Are you ready, Kinue?" Hiroe said, as she looked over Kinue.

"Yes, ma'am," Kinue said.

Hiroe chuckled slighty, before her face turned slightly stern. Her mother, speaking as her superior, had stressed establishing standards and setting boundaries early on.

"First, I'm only a year older than you, Kinue," Hiroe said. "Second, as your sister, I said you didn't need to call me that when we're alone."

"I'm sorry, ma'a- Onee-chan," Kinue said. "But the instructor told me I had to show you respect as my superior, the assistant headmistress."

Hiroe nodded. She had difficulty getting used to her new title, as the official second-in-command of the Atago school, both a promotion given to her as a way of easing her into managing the school, and a necessity for the expanding school.

"Yeah, I get what she has in mind," Hiroe said. "She does want to make sure that you're not expecting different treatment, since you haven't fully proven yourself to her or the others just yet. At the same time, though, you've proven yourself to _me;_ you've always done what I asked of you without complaint and fulfilled my expectations to the best of your ability. Kumakura-sensei said as much when she served as a reference for you."

Kinue nodded. Perhaps she was Hiroe's subordinate, as she was in their university tankery team, but she also felt close to being her equal.

"Then I suppose it's simply a matter of living up to her and everyone else's expectations for me," Kinue said with a smile, always glad when she was able to boil down difficult tasks into something so simple.

Kinue stepped out into the classroom, and, after a brief introduction by her sister, led a discussion among many tankery professionals who were her age or older. The uniform was optional for adult students, so long as they wore suits, dress uniforms or other clothing approved by the instructor, such as the miko robes of the Jindai family.

She saw a variety of people she recognized. There were the Nishizumi sisters, who had recently triumphed in the national university tournament, but still hoped to expand their skills. There was Takako, who had resumed her career as a professional tanker, and wanted to learn how best to give guidance to others. There was Mahiru from the Kumano school, who hoped to hone her skills and become worthy of the responsibility of leading her family's school.

It was yet another step up, but also one she had chosen to take, so she simply took a deep breath and began to lead the discussion. Kinue had much to learn, but she knew she could say the same for everyone else here, and hoped that she, as a fellow traveler on that journey, could help them through that process.

* * *

After class one day, Masae called Maho into her office for a private discussion.

"You wanted to see me, Instructor Atago?" Maho said.

"Yes," Masae said. "Please have a seat, Maho, and don't worry; it's not about anything bad."

Maho sat down on Masae's command.

"I would like to let you know that you're doing exceptionally well," Masae said. "Not only are you quite good at tankery, but your attitude is good. You follow directions, show respect to all the instructors, and contribute well to classroom discussions."

"Thank you, ma'am," Maho said, "although I merely see it as what is necessary to get the most out of the experience."

Masae let off a soft sigh.

"Your modesty is commendable, Maho," Masae said, "but you're missing my point. For you, learning to work well with and learn from those with beliefs different from yours is much more important than it is for most other people. If you'd like to revitalize the Nishizumi school, you have much to learn from others... including Instructor Nishizumi herself."

Maho paused to digest what she had heard. As surprising as it was to hear that Masae had advocated learning from Shiho, someone with very different principles than her, Maho knew that Masae taught.

"Ah, yes, I think I understand what you're getting at, Instructor Atago," Maho said. "In order to be able to run Mother's organization well, I will have to learn all I can about it. I believe Hiro- the assistant headmistress- said as much when I spoke with her earlier."

Masae chuckled softly.

"You know, Maho, I know that my daughters let you call them by their first names when you're alone with them," Masae said. "Feel free to do so in my presence."

"Yes, ma'am," Maho said. "Of course, I know you have different views as far as professionalism goes, and that you require Hiroe to abide by them."

Masae nodded. She was hesitant to call Hiroe a subordinate first and a daughter second, but believed that they were entirely different roles, and keeping their professional and familial relationship separate was key to preserving both.

"Hiroe's somewhat more laid-back than I am," Masae said. "But at the same time, she's true to the spirit of our school, and willing to learn what she can about running it. In that sense, she has what's most important for teachers to stay relevant- the willingness to learn and change with the time. If you learn nothing else here, always keep that idea in mind."

Maho nodded in agreement. The road toward bringing about a new beginning for the Nishizumi school would be a long and difficult one. But while the decision was one she had to make by herself, she was not alone on it, and many others would, in various ways, provide her with the support and guidance she needed to come to her answer.

* * *

_Five years after Miho's graduation_

Miho logged on to Skype to meet with the former members of Anglerfish Team. They still kept in touch even after graduating from Oarai and going to separate universities, particularly whenever each of them had something important to tell the others. Saori had recently e-mailed the others, asking when they might be available for a Skype conversation, and saying that she had something very important to tell them, but not specifying what.

"So what is this 'big announcement' you have to make, Saori-san?" Miho said after the greetings were finished.

"It's about my boyfriend, or as of last night, my fiance," Saori said. "He popped the question and I said yes."

In the time since the proposal, Saori was almost too overwhelmed with joy to send out an e-mail. When she finally did, she could barely contain herself long enough to get everyone on Skype and share the good news with them.

"Congratulations, Saori-san!" Hana said, and the others followed suit.

"Thanks, everyone," Saori said. "You're definitely getting invited to the wedding, so keep an eye out for invitations and let me know if you change your addresses."

"We will," Miho said.

"If I recall correctly, isn't he a guy you met at your university's orientation?" Mako said.

The others, their memories jogged, recalled what Mako was talking about. For the first year or so, Saori and the man to whom she was currently engaged were nothing more than friends, having some common interests and common classes together. Over time, a relationship bloomed, and after meeting each other's families and a few months of wondering who would pop the question, Saori's boyfriend had.

"Yeah," Saori said. "I know what you're thinking, Mako; tankery didn't really help that much in the end. He's not all that interested in tankery; of course, I don't really do it anymore, now that you all aren't there to do it with me."

"Maybe not," Mako said, "nor did any of your stratagems for seducing men. In the end, the best tactic was to just be yourself, which is how I met my boyfriend."

Mako had, surprisingly enough, gotten into a relationship before Saori did, much to her chagrin. Mako and her boyfriend however, took things relatively slowly, and while Mako had met her boyfriend's parents and obtained their approval, she was content with them being her future in-laws for the moment. Still, she did one day hope to have a family, and she could not think of anyone with whom she would rather do it than her boyfriend.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Saori said. "When I stopped worrying about how I would meet 'Mr. Right', I was more able to succeed in doing so. I suppose following my own advice paid off."

Saori's friends from high school, particularly her kouhais from Rabbit Team, were surprised when she applied for a position as a writer for a relationships magazine, and was hired. While she, having had a committed and stable relationship throughout her university years, had a fair amount of experience, she had not completely lived down her early attempts at advice.

Saori and her friends were aware of the unspoken truth that it took commitment, fidelity, trust, understanding and integrity, among many other things besides love over a long term for a healthy marriage. In spite of that, she was confident that she and her boyfriend had what it took to do so, and celebrated their union.

The conversation soon moved on to the other four young women asking Saori when she planned to hold the wedding, and Saori saying that had yet to be determined. In spite of that, she promised to let them know as soon as she could; she and her friends had shared many moments like this over the years, so she hoped they could be there for her special day when the time came.

* * *

_Six years after Miho's graduation_

Hiroe, out of the hospital for the first time since the birth of her twins- a son named Kariya and a daughter named Kazumi- placed a call to Maho from her room. She and her husband, a man she had met in her second year of university, had bought a house relatively close to the Atago school.

"Hey, Maho," Hiroe said. "I got your voicemail and I hope I'm not getting you at a bad time."

"I think your timing's perfect, Hiroe," Maho said, taking Hiroe's call in her bedroom inside the Nishizumi house. "My work's done for the day, and Honomi's finally asleep. I suppose you're having some idea of what I've been experiencing for the past year."

"Yeah, especially since the only thing harder than dealing with a baby is dealing with _two babies_," Hiroe said. "But I love them both, and unlike some people, I don't want to think of Kariya as 'the extra' compared to Kazumi."

"An admirable sentiment," Maho said. "I do sometimes wonder how any brothers, uncles or sons I might have had would fare in a family in which females are the only inheritors of tankery schools."

"Mom never liked that about tankery families, even if she ended up having daughters," Hiroe said. "Neither did Grandpa, who was simply glad to have a happy family, and that his job didn't cause him to wish that Mom or Aunt Masaki were male."

"That's good to hear," Maho said.

"Of course, I do want either of my kids to be able to choose the life they want to live," Hiroe said. "I should be able to find someone to succeed me among the fellow teachers, which means if Kazumi doesn't want to follow in my footsteps, I can leave my school in good hands while allowing her to do what she wishes within reason."

Hiroe had discussed inheritance of the school with her mother. Some ideas had been floated, such as having her potential successor marry her son, or adopting a promising student, but in the end, Masae believed first and foremost in merit.

"That sounds like a good plan," Maho said, "one that fulfills your family and your school's best interests."

"That's easier to do than you think, as long as you keep both in mind," Hiroe said, "and that you remember your various roles. That reminds me; I'm going to have to update my biography on the Atago school website and add 'mother of two' to all the things I am."

After the conversation ended, Hiroe opened her photo album and flipped through many photos of herself- as an infant, as a young child, as a student, as a tanker, as an assistant teacher to her mother, at her wedding and with her husband- and put a photo of herself and her twin children in the first blank slot. She smiled as she realized that the process would soon begin all over again, and hoped to raise her children into admirable adults.

* * *

_15 years after Miho's graduation_

In her room in the Isuzu home, Hana finished her final preparations for her trip to a once a decade convention on traditional Japanese arts, one of which was flower arranging.

She printed out her boarding passes from her computer. She charged her smartphone, which had an app that kept her apprised of any changes in her flight. She looked over one of her outfits, a navy blue suit that she had recently dry cleaned, and which she would wear on the plane and on the day of the convention.

The Isuzu school still remained true to its roots, but it also had to adjust for modern times, an idea Hana believed her daughter Tsubaki would have to learn if she wished to follow in her footsteps. Hana kept abreast of new developments in the internet so that she could network most effectively, and learn about other ways of flower arranging. Her flower arranging continued to improve and evolve, but it always had that personal touch.

Hana was reminded of Maho, whom she often spoke with on professional and personal subjects, as she was someone who also had to deal with change, while inheriting her family's school. As teenagers, the two had little in common except their ties with Miho, but as adults who had inherited their families' respective schools, they often talked about their responsibilities and the difficult decisions they had to make, and so learned much from each other.

* * *

_20 years after Miho's graduation_

The Nishizumi school welcomed a new class of students into the fold, the largest in many years. The school had eased its entrance requirements to more reasonable levels, hired more instructors and, most importantly, had a larger pool of applicants.

Tankery had gradually entered a renaissance over the years, due to a variety of factors. The fall of Black Forest's dominance over high school tankery was one factor. Most people got involved in tankery in high school, with the middle school programs being smaller scale, and university level tankery often only sought after by those who were going professional, so the idea that more schools could potentially win on that level was an encouraging one. Another was the emergence of an interest in World War II-era military technology, making tankery popular among those with an interest in that historical era. Tankery was as close as they could get to seeing actual battles re-enacted, so many people were drawn to watch, and even participate, in it.

But there were still those uninterested in it, and those who got involved without genuine interest, even among the students of the Nishizumi school, who often got involved at their parents' insistence, done in the hopes of making them great tankers. One such girl asked for a meeting with Maho, who had officially become head instructor of the school, while her mother served as a teacher and advisor. Shiho, realizing that the Nishizumi school was very different from the one she had stepped up to lead, had referred the girl to Maho.

_"I think I know what Hiroe's dealing with now that she inherited leadership from Instructor Atago- or rather, Masae-san," _Maho thought. When Maho's responsibilities were on her mind, her thoughts turned more often to her friend and fellow tankery instructor- who had taken her mother's place as head of the school while Masae taught classes and advised her- than they did to her own mother.

"Thank you for being willing to share your concerns with me," Maho said. "Come in, have a seat."

The girl sat down.

"My family has done tankery for generations," the girl said. "But I haven't been as interested in it as my schoolmates, much less my family."

"I understand," Maho said. "If you have no wish to stay here, then I will discuss it with your parents. But if you're willing to continue, I would recommend learning what you can here. Tankery training can be useful on all walks of life."

Maho looked back on some of the paths her friends had gone down. Teru and Saki were part of a professional tankery team. Hiroe was now head instructor for the Atago school, while Kinue worked under her as an assistant instructor. Hiroko had become a science professor. Sumire had entered the JGSDF. Satomi had become a detective for the NPA. Koume had married her boyfriend and become a homemaker, like Saori.

"I know that this is a great opportunity for tankers," the girl said, "and for many other kinds of people. At the same time, however, I do have to ask myself whether it's a good fit for _me,_ since I'm not even sure what I personally want at this point."

"My sister Miho once felt that way," Maho said. "If you're willing to hear me out, I can tell you her story."

"Coach Nishizumi Miho, of Oarai?" the girl said.

"Yes, it was very different back then," Maho said. "Oarai was small, and had no full time tankery coach. And Miho, rather than being the woman who won several championships, was contemplating giving up on tankery."

"I never knew that," the student said. "It's sometimes pretty surprising to think about famous people's humble beginnings."

Maho nodded. She and Miho, in spite of their accomplishments, still thought of each other as sisters, first and foremost, which was what Maho was most grateful for.

"Miho didn't know her story would end up like this when she first started tankery," Maho said. "But hers is a story of new beginnings, of finding one's own answers and succeeding against all odds. Just as she did, I believe you can as well."

The girl listened attentively, and Maho smiled. The Nishizumi school was no longer solely focused on teaching students the knowledge necessary to win, but also that was good for their personal growth and development, including sportsmanship, ethics and teamwork, as well as encouraging personal thought and individual development rather than conformity. Ultimately, Maho's newest student would have to answer the question of how and why to do tankery alone, but she would not be doing so without help any more than Miho had.

_"Perhaps this school might have been one that you would have been happy to study under as a child, Miho," _Maho thought. _"But all the same, I'm glad that you found your own way of tankery, and through your influence on my school and yours, helped so many find theirs."_

* * *

_10 years after Miho's graduation  
_

Miho oversaw yet another new class of students at Oarai. Some of them were still wearing their school uniforms- a similar design to the old one but not the same, due to the previous supplier having gone out of business- but those who were returning team members wore gray Panzer jackets similar to the ones Miho had worn in her time; the school had kept to the old design because it had since become a highly recognizable part of Oarai's identity. A few even referred to Oarai's team members as the "gray jackets."

She was one of the few students in her cohort who was still in tankery this long after high school. Most had a passing interest in tankery, and while they had performed better than anyone had expected them to do so, they had other interests and passions that they chose to pursue. Even the most interested found other pursuits. Erwin and the others from Hippo Team had become historians. Someya Mako had become a writer for a tankery magazine alongside Yukari, while Reizei Mako had become a teacher. Yumeno Maho and Murohashi Hiroko had become commentators for tankery programs. Hisa, Saki, Nodoka and Yuuki from Octopus Team had become professional tankers. A few of the members of Leopon Team had gone on to become tank mechanics.

But while many of the others had chosen separate paths, all of them had, even a decade or more after graduating, enjoyed their time doing tankery and found it fruitful. Most of Oarai's graduates had similarly good thins to say about the tankery program, and Miho now saw it as her responsibility to help ensure that her students had as fruitful of an experience.

Miho looked over Oarai's tankers. The crowd was significantly larger than in previous years, enough to fill a full team of 20 tanks, even if Oarai was still a few tanks shy of that number. Two fifths of the tankers were new, and as most of the newcomers had not even done tankery in middle school, they were in need of instruction.

Miho smiled. She hoped to see Oarai win yet again, but also hoped to introduce many people to the joy of tankery. If there was anything she had learned over the years she spent in tankery and all that she had, it was most important for one to love tankery and do it for one's own reasons. Once they had that, everything else would follow.

Miho thought back to her second and third years of high school, when she had rediscovered her love of tankery, years that were, in many ways, the beginning of many things, not just Oarai's return to tankery. Oarai's story as well as Miho's, was far from over, and so Miho once again set about the task of ensuring that new tankers at her alma mater had what was necessary to win.

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Thank you for reading, reviewing favoriting and following this fic, and the rest of the series.

I'd also like to thank everyone who read, reviewed, favorited and/or followed this story, beta read my battles and helped out in various ways, such as providing feedback or information on tanks and other such things, which helped greatly in improving this fic. Other people deserve thanks as well, including those who translated and localized Girls und Panzer, Saki, Little Army, Saki Shinohayu: Dawn of Age, the Maginot manga, Saki: Achiga-hen, Ribbon Warrior, Motto Love Love Sakusen Desu, Saki Biyori and others, as well as those who made Girls und Panzer and Saki in the first place. All of those provided me with inspiration to write this series, and without them, this fic, which combines the two settings and draws inspiration from various parts of each spinoff, would not exist.

This is _by far _the longest and most ambitious writing project I have taken on, being published over the course of a year and a half, and perhaps being closer to two years (incidentally, after all this time, Saki's plot is _still_ on the Side B semifinals) in terms of planning and writing. I'm largely satisfied with how it turned out, even if it did have some flaws (for example, Saki and some other characters fell by the wayside in Necessary to Keep Winning despite having a great deal of presence and story-spanning character arcs in the first installment), although it may be a long time before I attempt anything else of this scope.

This chapter provides some glimpses at the future, mainly to give a hint of where the characters would end up. Many of them will have untold stories, potentially enough to comprise entire fics. Obviously, with it covering a period of years, there's too much to include here, so I chose to give glimpses of what characters have accomplished, and what they will continue to face in the future.

I edited it to fix some small details and add in a scene.

In the Side Stories, there will be one last story to conclude this series, a final Introductions, as well as a second Aphorisms section, which includes new areas of wisdom, and some of the more recently introduced characters. I may go back to edit chapters, fixing minor mistakes and so forth.

For reader reference, here's the combatants in the tournament, with the winners in bold.

**Extra Round**

-Rinkai vs. Bosporu: **Rinkai**

**First Round**

-Maginot vs. Pravda: **Pravda**

-Saunders vs. Anzio: **Saunders**

-Black Forest vs. Waffle: **Black Forest**

-Rinkai vs. Continuance: **Rinkai**

-Blue Division vs. BC Freedom: **BC Freedom**

-Oarai vs. Joghurt: **Oarai**

-Chihatan vs. Viking Marine School: **Chihatan**

-St. Gloriana vs. Koala Forest: **Koala Forest**

**Quarterfinals**

-BC Freedom vs. Pravda: **Pravda**

-Saunders vs. Rinkai: **Rinkai**

-Black Forest vs. Chihatan: **Black Forest**

-Oarai vs. Koala Forest: **Oarai**

**Semifinals**

-Oarai vs. Rinkai: **Oarai**

-Pravda vs. Black Forest: **Pravda**

**Finals**

-Oarai vs. Pravda: **Pravda**

One more time, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it.

-_Theralion_


End file.
